Twin Warriors
by Dawninglight2000
Summary: Well... Chapter 11 was depressing... this one just might make everything better... The last chapter of the Twin Warriors is here.
1. Twin Warriors c-1: Demons and Warriors

Disclaimer: I own Jett and Opal, and all other characters mentioned in here that are not part of the Ronins. 

Opal put her books in her locker and slammed it shut. "Yes! Fridays rock!" Then she remembered that her coat was still in her locker. With a sigh, she put in her combo again and got it out. She put it on and went practically skipping down the hall.

She got out her keys to her green Chevy Cavalier. It wasn't exactly new, but her dad had given it to her so she treasured it. She brushed some leaves off the windshield and started to get into the car. As she did, she heard her name being called by Jett, her best friend. Opal looked up. "Hey! Need a ride again?"

Jett ran up to Opal, her brown eyes glittering. "Dude! You'll never believe what I just heard!" She got into the car.

Opal started the car. "So what's up? Did the demon lords decide to give up on taking over the world finally?"

Jett was jumping up and down in her seat. "No, I wish though. This is even better! We have _five_ exchange students from Japan coming Monday!"

Opal's mouth dropped and she turned to face her friend. "From _Japan_??? Sweet!"

After a few minutes, Opal finally managed to get out of the school parking lot and onto the highway to Jett's house. All the while, Jett talked excitedly about the new students. From what Opal managed to gather, they were a group of friends who had volunteered to see American life for the school year. Jett was excited. Opal was happy to have some new guys in the school.

"So what's the agenda for this weekend, besides knocking the usual demons about?" Asked Opal. She wanted to talk of something else.

"Um…" Jett had to stop to think. "Tomorrow I have a violin lesson, but after that we could kidnap Jay and go to the mall."

"I thought Jay was working until four." 

"No, he got the day off. We could also do a sleep over tomorrow. We need to figure out where these new disturbances are coming from."

Opal sighed. "On top of these disturbances we have this Sehkmet character and his friends bothering us. He showed up at my place again last night and I almost put a stake through his chest."

"What stopped you?"

"The fact that mom was in the room and couldn't see him."

Jett shook her head as Opal pulled up into the driveway. "I'll see you tomorrow, or later tonight if we end up hunting."

Opal waved and started home, which took half an hour from Jett's house, seeming Opal lived in the middle of nowhere. Once home she unlocked to door and entered her house. Lilith, her black and white cat, mewed as she entered. Opal scratched her head and dumped her stuff in her room. "Hey Brat-from-another-dimension!" she called up the stairs. "You home?" No answer from the younger sister department. "Whoa…. A whole weekend with the net to myself…. What will I ever do, Lilith?" The cat just looked at her.

Happy, Opal uploaded her computer and signed onto the internet. Lilith jumped onto the keyboard and mewed again. "What's the matter, kitty?" asked Opal as she set the cat on her lap. "Did you get lonely today?" Lilith purred and put her front paws on Opals shoulders. After a few moments, she moved to her favorite spot on Opal: her shoulders. There she curled up around Opal's neck and fell asleep. Opal went to typing up her posts for her role-playing clubs for the day.

************************

Meanwhile, at the town airport, Ryu waited impatiently for his four other friends to come back from the restaurant. Just as he was about to go looking for them, Shuu Rei appeared being dragged out by Touma and Shin. Seiji followed, not looking very happy with Shuu at all. Shuu looked even angrier.

"You really shouldn't have done that," he said.

"He shouldn't have said that about Japanese people!" exclaimed Shuu, still trying to get away from Touma and Shin.

"One of these days, that temper of yours is seriously going to get you into some serious trouble," warned Shin. "We're here to fight evil, not civilians."

Ryu sighed, not wanting to know what Shuu had gotten into know. "Come on, we're going to be late."

Shuu gave up and followed the others to baggage claim and customs. Afterwards, they went outside to wait for their taxi that would take them to the hotel they booked. The group was unusually quiet, each thinking about what had brought them to the US. They all had a dream about the Dynasty coming back through a different power point, which Mia had found to be in New York. After discussing two strange shadows that appeared next to the Warlords, the Ronins had decided to come and investigate. They had to attend a school to keep undercover, but at least they would be able to look for anyone there with the profiles of the shadows.

Their taxi came and a short ride later, they were at the Raddison Inn. Mia suggested they stay there until they found separate places to rent. They gathered up their stuff from the trunk of the taxi and went into the hotel lobby to get their keys. They had rooms next to each other on the second floor with Shin and Kento, Touma and Ryu sharing a room. They settled in, leaving the adjoining room doors open. They were all tired from the jet lag so they still didn't talk much. The only sounds were the sounds of Shuu and Shin occasionally wrestling over an article of clothing. What finally got everyone laughing was Shuu, who put a pair of Shin's boxers over his head and started running around the three rooms. Even Shin was laughing.

"Alright guys. It's about six according to the clock over here. There should be a restaurant around here so we can eat." Ryu's stomach was growling, despite how tired he was.

Everyone agreed and went to look for a restaurant, preferably not one very expensive. The settled for Burger King on the edge of Market Street.

"When we got time, we should check this place out," said Touma as he sipped his coke. 

"Yeah," said Seiji. "I've only been to NYC. This could prove interesting."

""Oh wow!" said Shuu suddenly. "The girls here are hot!"

They all turned to see whom Shuu was talking about. They saw a girl with frizzy brown hair enter with someone, probably her dad. She was pretty, true, but Seiji felt something that made him scowl. He didn't like the sense this girl was giving him. He promptly turned back to eating.

"I think you should go talk to her, Shuu," dared Shin.

"Hey, I will." Everyone groaned as he got up and went to talk to her. They couldn't hear what was being said, but a few moments later Shuu came back, laughing hard and the girl looked very pissed.

"What did you say to her?" asked Ryu, fearing the worst.

"I told her she should come home with me. She told me to drop dead and I called her a moron in our language. Apparently she understood it because she called me something not so pleasant."

Everyone groaned and lowered their heads. This was not the way to start things out with the ladies, that's for sure. They went back to eating.

*************************

Opal gave the demon she was fighting a roundhouse to the face. Then she spun around, embedding her athame into his throat. He fell over, dead. A moment later, Jett's did so as well.

Opal drew her athame from the demon's throat. "Man, that was almost too easy." She said. She shivered in her jacket. The autumn air was chilly tonight.

"I know," said Jett with a frown. "I don't like it." She was still pissed at what that guy said to her earlier. Obviously an obnoxious creep. She had told Opal about it earlier. "Keep an eye out for—"

Before she could finish, they were ambushed again. "Aiaiai," muttered Opal. "That's it, I just wanna go home and do research already!" She punched an approaching demon in the face and back kicked one behind her in the crotch. She ducked as two came at the side with claws extended. They impaled each other. Opal flipped over the one she kicked and landed hard on the base of its spine, killing it. The one ahead of her threw a fireball. Opal dodged, rolled over to him, hit him in the solar plexus, and gutted him with the athame.

Jett was solving her problems just as easily. She sent a wall of fire around her, burning three. Then she made it into a fire pillar, sending it at two others. She reached behind her and drew her sword. She turned quickly and swung in an arch, decapitating the other.

"Show off," panted Opal.

"I know." She replied, wiping her blade.

The demon's bodies disappeared into the earth. With a sigh, the girls started back for the parking lot of the park. They didn't get far. The Warlord of Venom appeared before them, laughing.

"Well, the Twin Warriors strike again." His voice said cruelly behind the facemask of his helmet.

"Go to hell," they both said at the same time. They walked past him.

"Ah, but you see, we need you to help us bring back Master Talpa into the world."

"And for the last time, no! N-O. No." Said Jett.

"Yeah, learn English or something," said Opal grouchily. "Now go away. I have homework to do."

Sehkmet shrugged. "All in due time you'll be on our side. Once you learn our predicament…."

The girls ignored him and jumped into Jett's car. They weren't interesting in learning his 'predicament'. They could honestly care less.

Opal's car was parked in Jett's drive. "Well," sighed Opal. "We learned absolutely nothing tonight."

"I wonder…. Think Sehkmet may be part of the disturbances?"

Opal shrugged. "Could be. We'll find out sooner or later."

"Yeah, I guess. Want to come in for some cocoa?"

"I wish. Got to get home before my sister gets home. I left both doors locked."

"So leave her outside. She could do with a little outdoor survival lesson."

Opal laughed. "Right, hand have mom scold me for two hours? No thanks, not worth it. Now if we tie to a tree…"

Laughing, the girls went separate and Opal was again driving home. She grumbled to herself about living in the country. She didn't mind it; it just cost so much gas!

Once home she looked at the clock. It was late, and her sister wasn't home yet. "Goodie, I now have dirt on Drew. This will be fun." She changed into her nightclothes, fed Lilith, then crawled into bed. Drew came home about 2:30. With her lights off and door closed, she wouldn't know that Opal was awake. Fine by her. She could tell her parents on Sunday. She yawned, turned over, and fell asleep.


	2. Twin Warriors c-2

Disclaimer: I don't own the Ronins. Everyone else I do. The usual drill. 

The bell rung for homeroom. Opal was late, yet again, spending too much time talking to Jett. She slid into her sit and pretended she was there the whole time. As usual, she stared at her bag, not really wanting to talk to any one. Then some new kid walked in. He had black hair to the shoulders, blue eyes, and walked with a grace Opal rarely saw. _Is this one of the exchange students Jett was talking about?_ she wondered.

Her homeroom teacher looked at his schedule for the homeroom number then nodded, having him sit next to her. _Oh dude!_ _This rocks!_ She watched as he sat next to her. He sure wasn't bad looking, well, in her opinion. She wondered if she should brave the task of talking to him.

Turns out she didn't have to. He did. "Excuse me," he asked, he accent making it sound funny. "Could you tell me where the 100 hall is?"

Opal nodded. "Take a right out of here, walk down the stairs, and there you are."

"Thanks."

She nodded. Before she could ask his name, she started to get a weird vibe off him. This alarmed her. _Dammit, he better not be a freakin' demon!_ Then she started to get another one. Out the window, she saw a shadow. She squinted. _Aw shit, is that…? Yes. Why the hell can't he leave me alone? I'm not going to help him!_

At the same moment, Ryo was getting something strange off this girl. It wasn't the normal sense he got off of people when he first met them. _Is she one of the Dynasty soldiers? Hmmm…_ He was going to have to check out if there were any other people with the same vibes.

Then the bell rung. Ryu and Opal went their own ways. 

**********************

Jett wasn't as lucky as Opal to get someone she didn't know in her homeroom. The auditorium served as the band homeroom, and that's where she was when she spotted Shuu. She swore under her breath: he wasn't just a tourist as she hoped. He spotted her and walked over to talk to her.

"Hey, you never did answer me." He said.

Jett bit her tongue. "Go away. I've got enough obnoxious creeps bothering me at the moment."

"So what's one more?"

She glared at him in response. Then she got her bag and fished out her math book to do some homework and forget about this annoying person. She hoped his friends weren't as obnoxious.

But Shuu was really having fun bothering her. "My name's Shuu Rei. What's yours?"

"None of your business."

"Ok, None of Your Business." Laughing, he went to talk to someone else.

"Jerk." She said as he left.

***********************

"Jeez, I didn't think they were already going to give us homework!" complained Shuu as he ate his sandwich.

Touma shrugged. "Oh well. It will give us something to do. It looks easy."

The five of them were sitting in the lunchroom 5th period. The counselors were nice enough to give them this period together. Shuu suddenly broke into a grin.

"What are you plotting?" asked Shin, suddenly worried for his lunch.

"There's that girl again. And look, there are two others!" He stood up. "Hey! None of Your Business! Hi!" he waved.

Jett looked over at him and glared then stalked off to a round table in the back in the room.

"That's the girl I was talking about," said Ryu, pointing out Opal. 

"She has the weird sense?" asked Touma. "I had her in math class. She was just quiet."

"Let's go bother them." Said Shuu.

Seiji shook his head. "Not a good idea. If they are Dynasty scum, then we need to watch our backs. Shuu, you're drawing too much attention. Sit down."

Meanwhile, at Opal's table, Opal was giving Shuu a dirty look. "What was that all about?"

Jett gave a recon of what happened that morning. "And today, in gym, that blonde guy bumped into me and told me to watch it. We started an argument right there. Man, this bites! I was hoping that we'd get nice guys to our school for once!"

"I'm a nice guy," said Jay. He was laughing.

"Jay, you don't count," said Opal. "You're a teddy bear. Anyway, that kid in red over there? He's in my homeroom. Got a weird sense off of him too." The only one she didn't have in any of her classes so far was Shuu. She prayed she didn't have to put up with him either. She sighed. "It's a pity they're jerks. They're kinda hot."

Jett agreed sadly. Jay made a comment on how he thought Touma was hot. The girls laughed.

***********************

Gym class. Opal hated it. Even more so now that she discovered Shuu was in it as well. Right now they were in the weight room. He had bothered her twice about the "proper way" to lift dumb bells. Opal had commented how it doesn't take a "dumb bell" to figure out how it works. The teacher had to separate them, or there would have been a fight.

Now she was punching a bag furiously, using the martial arts she learned on it to vent anger. Not only did the cutest guys in school had to turn out to be jerks, her boyfriend dumped her. It really wasn't a good day for her. The next kick later, the bag was on the ground and bleeding water. The teacher sent her to ISP.

_Perfect way to end a day!_ She thought, almost near tears from frustration and anger. _I need a few demon huntings and some chocolate._

And the worst was yet to come.

When she arrived home that day, she found her parents already home. This was odd. For a moment she thought that someone had died. But she found it much worse. When she arrived inside, she found Shin and Touma sitting on her couch, her parents talking lively to them. She immediately walked down the stairs to her room. _I'm going to KILL whoever is against me today! Great, how the f^ck am I supposed to sneak out at night now???_

Her father calling her upstairs interrupted her thoughts. Placing a strained smile on her face, she walked up the stairs. "Yes, dad?"

He introduced her to Shin and Touma, both faces also strained. They weren't too pleased either, but they showed absolute politness to her parents and sister. 

"They are going to sleep in your other room."

"Dad! That's my ritual room! I need it for my—"

Her mother gave her a look. "Opal," she warned.

Opal sighed, defeated. Her parents didn't approve that she was a witch. Her parents didn't also know she used that room to sneak out at night. It was the only way. Her parents left to attend to other matters of the house; her sister went to use the phone.

"Looks like we'll be seeing more of each other then we'd like," said Touma bitterly.

"Keep out of my designated room, and don't go through my stuff in the other one," was all she said before picking up her cat from the couch and stalking down to her room and slamming the door shut.

"She's pleasant company, isn't she?" asked Shin.

"Quite frankly, I think I find that Shuu complaining about his hunger is more welcoming than having to be here with her all the time."

In her room, Opal dialed Jett's number on her phone. When she answered, Opal let out all the steam her engine was holding. "I'm going to kill my parents! I might not be able to get out and go hunting anymore! You know those guys? Well mom and dad are letting two of them stay- in MY ritual room!"

"Shit!" was all she said. Then Opal heard her yelling about something; the mouthpiece on Jett's end was covered. "Yeah," she said when she got back. "I might have the same problem. I got Blondie and Pig over here."

Opal heard more yelling. Then Jett: "I'm sorry Opal, I gotta go. Shuu is going through my room." There was a click. Opal promptly punched her wall. She needed to meditate. But her other room was taken! Lilith purred, jumping on Opal's shoulders and rubbing her softhead against Opal's. Opal calmed down and pet the cat. "You know Lilith? Life sucks." Lilith mewed in response. Then she jumped onto Opal's school bag. "Alright, I'm getting to it," she sighed.

****************************

Dinner at Opal's house was tense. Drew was talking to Shin and trying to get him hooked up with Opal. Finally Opal snapped at her younger sibling to shut up. Her parents, of course, scolded her. Touma offered to help Drew with her homework. When her parents left, Lilith jumped onto Opal's lap for scraps. Opal gave them to her.

"You shouldn't give her that stuff," said Shin, reaching over to pet Lilith. Lilith hissed at him.

"My cat all over, aren'tcha pretty kitty?" cooed Opal. Lilith was the only thing that was keeping Opal sane when she was home. Lilith ate off of Opal's plate.

"I'd keep away from that cat," spoke up Drew. "She's evil."

"You're evil," muttered Opal. "I'm surprised she hasn't clawed you to death yet for it." Drew just stuck out her tongue. Opal picked up her cat and some meat and went downstairs to her room to work on the Internet and vent some frustrations on some RPG's. 

*********************

"You think she could be one of them?" asked Shin once he and Touma were alone. "She has the temperament of a Warlord."

"She may as well as be one," said Touma. "It's either her or the cat. We've been getting strange vibes of them all day, as well as that Jett girl."

Shin frowned. He found Jett pretty, and it would suck if she were a bad guy. "It's a shame Seiji got stuck with her. They don't like each other at all."

Mistaking Shin's meaning, Touma nodded. "Yeah, in some ways, Jett is worse then Opal. But Seiji can handle himself. Hey, what's this?"

He found part of the carpet up and cut in a circle. Curious, he lifted it. He jumped back at the sight. Underneath was a black pentacle, runes going around it. "I guess Blake wasn't kidding when he said that they were witches." Blake was whom Ryu was staying with.

"No, he wasn't." said a cold voice.

Touma turned. Opal was standing in the doorway; eyes looking a lot like daggers, arms crossed, and a scowl on her face. She looked plain deadly. Lilith padded up to her side and hissed at them as she entered.

"Put that back," Opal ordered.

Touma did, keeping an eye on the cat. She seemed to be watching him carefully too. It was making him nervous. Then Opal walked straight into the room, causing him to jump back. She went to the corner of the room and picked up her athame from an altar. Now Shin was getting nervous now too.

"W-what's that for?" He asked.

Opal gave both of them deadly looks. "For my two sacrifices tonight. My gods demand blood for having their sacred space violated by such unworthy people." She said this with a straight face and a lot of conviction. As she left, the cat followed, and both boys were left shaking slightly.

"Give me ten Talpas any day," muttered Touma. "That was the scariest thing I've ever experienced."

"Yeah, now we're going to be shish-kabobs," said Shin as he laid out his bed for the night. He was miserable: he never really wanted to start anything with Opal in the first place.

*******************

Opal in reality never intended to actually sacrifice them. That was just for scare. She just needed the athame for hunting that night, if she could get out of the house unnoticed. And that wasn't the only reason she went in there.

"See?" asked Dais, appearing out of the wall and leaning against it. He wasn't wearing his armor's helmet and his face was in a nasty grin. "They're just here to stop you from protecting your world."

"Get out of here," she muttered, fingering her athame. Lilith growled at him.

"If you join us, you can get back at everybody who has ever betrayed you. Master Talpa can give you the power."

"I said get out!" Opal chucked her athame directly at his chest. He vanished, leaving the athame stuck in the wall up to the hilt.


	3. Twin Warriors c-3

Disclaimer: I don't own Pikachu or the Ronins. Neither does the Streamer Ninja. I own the Streamer Ninja.

"This is driving me insane!" yelled Jett at the top of her lungs. 

It was three months later and the situation in the spirit world and the physical world were growing worse by the day. More demons were appearing and taking civilians, and the Twin Warriors could do nothing about it. Either they were blocked by their 'guests' or couldn't get out due to other factors.

At the moment, they were sitting in a meadow. The cold air from the north blew, making them shiver. No snow had fallen yet, but to the girls it was a blessing, or they'd be sitting in the snow as well as damp ground. They had to resort to this sort of thing to be able to talk about what they were to do with the constant rising of demons and not being able to fight them because of problems on the home front. Still, the girls were determined to keep their reputation as demon slayers.

"I know…." Sighed Opal. "I can't do _anything_ without having my rituals interrupted. I can't meditate, give thanks to Mother Earth, do my annual powering rites, or anything!"

"I'd suggest a campout for the next week or so, but not with the weather being so cold and school getting in the way. Dammit, we have to find the power points and fast. The Warlords are getting more powerful by the day, not to mention more insistent. We're running out of time."

Opal nodded and rubbed her temples. "Random train of thought time. Who are you going with to the semi-formal?"

"Probably Jay again, as usual. You wearing your black dress again?"

"Uh-huh. But I need new stockings. My old ones ripped in the attempts to kill off Drew." 

Jett laughed. "Are you going with anyone if asked?"

Opal made a strange noise in her throat. "Right. Like anyone outside our small group would ask me to dance. You forget Roy dumped me and spread even more nasty rumors about me after he found out I was a Witch." She was still sensitive over that. Though of late she had been thinking a lot about Seiji, which royally pissed her off. How could she care for one of the most wanted guys in school, especially when he's being such a damned dick?

"Blake is probably helping too. I wouldn't be surprised if he was the one who got them to hate us in the first place. You know, I've been thinking. Shin is hot, even if he is a pathetic moron. And it still sets me off he knows Shakespeare better then I do!" She angrily tossed a stone down the hill.

Opal kept her opinion to herself. "Touma just better not be torturing Lilith right now. I'll set him on fire if he is."

Finally, it got too cold for the girls to stay out any longer. They traveled to Jett's house to get some cocoa. Inside where it was warm, they found Shuu pigging out on some chips and Seiji reading a book. Jett gave a disgusted look at them both before stalking off to the kitchen. Opal gave Seiji a second glance as she past, then mentally smacked herself. She sat in a chair in the kitchen to await the boiling water.

"I'll be back in a sec," said Jett. She disappeared into her room. She reappeared point five seconds later, steam seething from her ears and nose, eyes glowing with malevolence. "SHUU REI!" she shouted. "WHAT IN THE NAME OF THE GODS WERE YOU DOING IN MY ROOM????"

Seiji poked his head around the corner, his visible eye narrowed. "Would you keep it quiet? Some of us are trying to read out here."

"Can it, fuzz ball." She snarled. "Your name isn't Pig."

At that moment, Jett's mom walked in. "Jett, will you please quiet down? I got a headache and you screaming doesn't help it."

"But mom! That person who doesn't even _live_ here went through my room and totally trashed it!"

After a brief argument, Jett stalked over to the kettle to stop it from boiling and poured the hot water into the cups, all the while grumbling how her parents favored Seiji and Shuu. Shuu had stuck his head in to make a face at them. Opal gave him the triple finger, a trick she learned from a former friend. Shuu only stuck his tongue out before going back to the living room.

Opal helped Jett clean up her room. All her herbs and supplies were scattered, as well as treasured books, candy, and stuffed animals. Jett had to reorganize her CD collection and her violin case. That pissed her off even more. Absolutely _no one_ touched her violin without her permission.

"That's it! I'm going to curse them!" she exclaimed.

Opal looked out the window. It was still cloudy and overcast. "I wonder… Think the disturbances has anything to do with them?"

Jett stopped tuning her violin. "I've thought of that. They act enough like demons and bother us like them." She went to playing a furious fiddle tune on the violin.

Opal leaned back on the bed, wondering.

***********************

"Do you guys think they could be it?" asked Ryu for the second time in the last five minutes. He was trying to keep the group on topic, but everyone was talking of the up-coming dance and whom they were taking. Ryu gave up. 

Shuu had been forming a plan of total humiliation of Opal and her friend for the past few days. Well, it'd be fun for him and the guys, and whoever else was watching. He was, after all, the class clown of the group and he was determined to live up to his reputation. "Hey Shin, Seiji, I got an idea."

Both of them look at him. "What?" they asked at the same time.

"Shin, I dare you to ask Jett to the dance. Seiji, I dare you to ask Opal."

"What?!" exclaimed Seiji. "I got better girls to date then her!"

Shin shrugged. "Ok." He was going to at any rate anyway, though he didn't know what Shuu was planning. 

"Where the hell is your logic?" asked Seiji.

"No, listen to me. You two have been complaining about those two, right?"

"We all have," said Ryu, not liking where this was going.

"Well, if those two was to get back at Opal and Jett, it wouldn't be effective to get Shin with Opal and Seiji with Jett, they wouldn't agree to it."

"I see…" said Touma. "So we get them back by Seiji and Shin ditching them the next day in front of everyone."

"Got it!" said Shuu.

Ryu groaned. This fight between the two groups was getting old. And he wasn't all up for humiliating them. Opal was nice enough—if you didn't say the wrong thing to her. "Let's just forget that, Shuu. That's beyond low."

Shin nodded. "Besides, I got my own reasons for asking."

************************

Opal mentally smacked herself. She found herself drawing Seiji's picture in her notebook again. _Stop it!_ She ordered herself. _He's not interested in you, and you're not in him!_ She snapped her notebook shut and daydreamed somewhat through her class.

When the bell rang for eighth period, she packed her things from her English class slowly. She didn't feel like going to gym to face Shuu at the moment. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Seiji walking towards the door. To her surprise, he stopped at her desk.

"Hey, Opal," he said casually. "How are you doing?"

Opal looked up in shock. "I'm surprised you're actually talking to me." She replied, voice neutral. 

Seiji just shrugged. "Hey, you got a date to the semi Friday?"

Opal's mouth dropped. "Y-you're asking me? To one of the more classier dances of the year?" 

He nodded. "Yeah. You wanna go or no?"

"Oh hell ya!" She said, dropping her neutral expression.

"Ok, see you tomorrow during class then." He left for his next class.

Opal raced to her next class. She couldn't wait to tell Jett and Jay during the break for the class afterwards. Once in the girls' locker room, she found her friend, the Streamer Ninja. She was nicknamed this because she was a huge anime fan and was caught running with streamers around her one day.

"Streamer Ninja! Guess what?"

"_Pikachu_!" greeted Streamer Ninja. "What?"

"Guess who asked me to the Semi."

"You're kidding? Dude, that is cool!"

"Hell ya!"

And it just got weirder from there. Shuu was actually being nice to them, which was highly unusual for him. Although this didn't stop Opal from taking the opportunity to beat him in a boxing match. She had a feeling he let her win, but she didn't care, she was happy. And when the bell rang for her to go to the next class, she went and found MoonBeam first. And she had exciting news too.

"Dude! Shin just asked me to the Semi!" Jett exclaimed. Opal told her who asked her. Jett's mouth dropped. "He asked you? I thought he was taking Jesica. Oh well, that's cool! So are we meeting at my place or what?"

"Your place so you can take us in the van. I can drive Touma and Shin over and I think Ryu is getting a ride with Blake."

"Ok, gotta go. Later!" They parted.

***********************

There was a knock on Opal's door. She almost didn't hear it; she had her CD player blasting really loud. She turned it down and opened the door. "Oh, hi Shin. What's up?"

He came in and shut the door. "Are you sure Jay and Jett aren't going out?"

Opal nodded. "Yes, for the fiftieth time, I'm sure. They just like to pick on each other. She wouldn't have said yes if she was."

Shin looked nervous. "The Semi is tomorrow. I seriously never really danced with a girl I really liked before."

"So if you trip over your feet we all get a good laugh?"

"Very funny," was his reply. "Hey, what's wrong with Lilith?"

Opal looked over to her bed. Lilith was standing on all fours, hair raised and teeth bared. She was looking at a particular part of the wall. She hissed a warning at the wall. Opal sighed and took a stick with different runes on it and forked at the end. She hit the wall with it three times rather hard before Lilith stopped hissing. Shin looked at her weird. "What was that about?"

"Rats. They bother Lilith a lot when she can't get into the walls. They don't come often because Lilith keeps them at bay."

"Oh. So what is that instrument?" He pointed at the stick she was holding.

"Called a Stag and used for some series of witch's rituals. Also good for when you need a weapon." She flipped it around a few times rapidly, causing the air to whine. 

"You're good," he said, watching. "Do you fight with a Bo?"

"Depends what I grab first. Usually it's a dagger. I can throw quicker then I can twirl." Lilith hissed again, causing Opal to drop her Stag. She gave a frustrated glance towards the Stag and picked it up. She sighed as she replaced it in its place and looked at Shin. "Sorry to cut this short, but I got homework I haven't finished yet."

"Oh, sorry," he apologized. "You're mom is taking Touma and I to a tuxedo shop after dinner, so if you need to use your other room, go for it."

"Ok, thanks," she said. This was getting weirder by the moment. As soon as he left and her music was back on, she gave the air a hitch kick, kicking Dais in the head. "You stupid idiot. I don't care if you wanted my attention, you morons do not show yourselves anytime when I got people in the room!"

Dais was forced to take off his helmet so the ringing would stop. "I just came to see if you wanted to help us or not yet," he whined.

Opal shot him a dirty look. "If you're so great and powerful, like you and the other Warlords boast, why can't you do it yourselves?"

"Because," was all he replied.

Lilith hissed at Dais. She jumped at him claws extended, and latched on to his face. Dais yelped and with some effort managed to pry the cat off his face without causing any major damage. Opal pets Lilith as she jumped onto her shoulders. "There's my final answer to you damned Warlords. Bother me again and I won't hesitate to shove a stake through your chests."

Dais shot her a cold look. "You and Jett will regret this day." He vanished.

"Uh-huh," Opal answered, letting Lilith rub her nose on Opal's cheek. "And it will be a cold day in hell when he manages it, huh kitty?"


	4. Twin Warriors c-4

Disclaimer: Hehehe… hmm… got a plan for Anubis working out here… hehehehe… Sorry that he isn't mentioned in here, but he will later… hehehe… As before, don't own the Ronins. I still wish I owned Seiji though.

Opal stepped out of the room. She just needed some glitter. "Mom!" she called to the top of the stairs. "Do you have the body glitter?" Her mom appeared at the top of the stairs and tossed it down. She went back into her room and closed the door to hide while she added the glitter to her face. Five minutes later, she emerged again.

"Opal, are you—" Touma's mouth dropped open as he watched her walk up the stairs." Damn…" was all he could say.

Opal was dressed in a black sleeveless dress that went to the knees and showed just enough cleavage. Her black stockings showed the muscles in her legs that she kept hidden in the winter. Her short brown hair was much neater then usual. The glitter she had put one was around her green eyes and trailed down her face. A necklace in the shape of a gold heart hung around her neck. She wasn't wearing huge heels on her shoes, but she walked with the grace of them.

"What?" asked Opal as she past Touma.

Touma fell back and clutched his chest. "I think I'm going to have a heart attack!"

"Quit being so dramatic," scolded Shin. "Can we go now?" 

Shin was dressed in a brown tux and Touma was dressed in dark blue. They really couldn't do much with their hair though. But they still looked really good.

"Uh-huh." She said, grabbing her keys. "Let's ride. Bye mom, dad!"

They all hopped into the car and rode to Jett's house. There was more conversation between the three then usual. By the time Opal got to Jett's house, Touma was trying to get Opal to understand the different theories of triangles for math class. He wasn't helping any either; she was just getting more confused.

"Hey guys!" said Shuu, opening the door for them. Shin was looking nervous and found the floor very interesting. Shuu and Touma sat at the couch and waited for Seiji and Jett. Opal was hearing sound of argument over the bathroom and the mirror. 

"Hey Jett! We're waiting for you already! And Shin's going to die of a nervous breakdown if you don't hurry up!" yelled Opal. Shin grew red in the face.

"And you're going to lose your date to me if you don't hurry up, Seiji!" called Shuu.

"In you're dreams," she said.

A few moments later, Seiji and Jett appeared. Seiji was wearing a light blue tux, his hair over his eyes as usual. Jett was dressed in a long, glittering red dress with a slit up to the thighs on either side. The sleeves hung at the edge of the shoulders. Her hair was placed in an intricate way with two strands hanging in her face. She had drawn a flower _mendi_ on her upper right arm, probably with the help of her mom. Her moon earrings hung from her ears.

Shin looked like he was going to faint. "H-h-hi, J-Jett." He stammered.

She smiled at him. "Are we ready to go?"

All six nodded. Jett's mom, who insisted they got their pictures taken, stopped them. Complaining that they were going to be late, they lined up. Touma and Shuu were kneeling in the front, Seiji had his arm around Opal, and Shin was holding Jett's arm. Fifty pictures later, they were in the van and heading off to the school. 

***********************

Jett was having the time of her life. The music was good, for once, and Shin was an incredibly great dancer. Every time he took her hand to get on the dance floor, she felt her heart melt. She kept wondering what made the sudden change for him to like her, but at the moment it didn't matter. Jett was having trouble trying to keep her eyes away from his. Shin's oceanic eyes were hypnotic. 

"Jett, are you ok?" he asked suddenly.

"Huh? Oh, yeah. Fine."

"You sure? You got a glazed look over your eyes." His face was concerned.

Jett giggled, something she rarely did. "You have pretty eyes."

Shin blushed. "Er…"

They were suddenly bumped aside by the large crowd, which was forming a large circle. Curious, she and Shin pushed their way through to see what was going on. In the middle of the circle, there was Shuu and Touma. Opal and Seiji were on the opposite side of the circle, both cracking up: Shuu and Touma were break dancing. It was definitely an odd sight to see. Shuu suddenly flipped over to one of the girls by Jett and pulled her in. Touma landed in a split. Several people in the audience made a face and cringed a little.

The song ended, and the crowd went back to its separate areas. Opal and Seiji went to get a drink. Opal herself was having an excellent time. She never had so much fun at a dance; much less have a good dance partner. And for once all of the people who usually ask her to dance were leaving her alone. It was blessing.

Seiji got them each a soda. Opal gulped it down. She noticed Seiji laughing. "What?" she asked. "I'm thirsty!"

He shook his head. "So you're having a good time then?"

Opal nodded, getting another soda and downing that one too. "Usually these dances suck. I'm surprised they're actually playing good music for once."

"I guess, I never came to one of the school dances here." He side-glanced her. He had to admit she looked hot tonight. But he would still rather be with someone else. He wasn't quite sure how to react to the sudden peppiness of Opal or the friendliness either. "Should we go back to the dance floor?" he asked. Opal nodded and he led her to it.

Around eleven Jett had everyone back at her place. Opal went to her car, waving to Shuu and Seiji and waiting for Touma and Shin. Seiji came up to her as she was bouncing up and down, waiting for the heat in the car to come on. "I'll see you Monday, right?"

Still bouncing, Opal nodded. "Uh-huh. Damn it's cold out here!"

Seiji laughed. "Yeah, it is. Alright, see you in school then!" He went into the house to join Shuu. A moment later Touma and Shin were in the car, and Opal driving them back to her place.

At home, Touma went to his room to read a bit. Shin changed into boxers and a shirt and went to knock on Opal's door. The light underneath was off. He wondered why she was in bed already; she seemed wide-awake. Lilith walked past and growled as she saw Shin standing there. Shin put his hands up in the air. "Sorry, I'm going." He yawned. He better get some sleep.

*****************

"Oh, tonight was just perfect!" exclaimed Opal to herself. Opal had changed into jeans and a sweatshirt rather quickly so she could get out unnoticed. She was out in the woods behind her house, twirling around in the light of the crescent moon. She was out demon hunting again, but alone seeming Jett couldn't escape her house. Opal herself was barely able too, having to sneak out the door when nobody was looking. Lilith would watch her room for her. 

A sudden growl from behind her caused her to stop skipping and spin around, instantly in battle mode. A demon appeared with bright green eyes with red pupils and all fangs and claws. He towered over Opal by a few feet. Several other footsteps told her she was surrounded. She berated herself for not paying attention. She slowly reached for her athame on her waist. One of the demons noticed this and struck at her from behind.

Opal ducked and rolled out of the circle. She whipped out her weapon and got in stance to fight. "C'mon cowards. I know you can do better then that! Give me a challenge for once!" All six demons growled. One shot fire balls at her. Opal moved out of the way, the heat warming her from the cold. She pointed her athame at them, twirled it a few times clockwise, and then slammed it into the ground. "EARTHLY SCREAM!"

The ground beneath the demons rumbled and cracked. Light from below the crust began to show as the demons panicked and tried to get out of the way. But it was too late: The ground ripped open with a groan and sucked the demons in. Then it closed up and the shaking stopped. It appeared as if nothing had happened. Opal picked up her athame and sheathed it along her belt.

Opal encountered several more demons before finally being exhausted, both physically and mentally. Indeed, the demons had grown in numbers the past few months, and seemed stronger. _Hmmm… maybe I should check out where the disturbance is coming from before going home. It seems close._ But then again, it could just be another demon's nest. Deciding she could go for a few more kills for the night before retiring, Opal went to check out where the big vibration of energy waves were coming from.

Half a mile up a hill. Opal was breathing heavy. Her breath was coming out in white puffs of clouds. She forced herself to be quiet for a moment while listening out for anything. Her ears picked up the sounds of talking. People or demons? She quietly moved closer to where she could hear better.

"This is the spot," said a familiar voice. Dais.

"So how do we lure the Warriors out here? We need them to help us." This voice was Kale.

"Hmm… we could just take them and force them. Or brainwash them with the Nether Spirits." Sehkmet's voice sounded particularly eager over this. Opal shuddered.

"The Ronins are here as well." Warned Dais. "So we'll have to do this before they know for definite we're here."

"We'll have Master Talpa back and ruling the world before they figure out where we are." Said Kale. "The Ronins will not interfere again. Now, let's go back to prepare for the invasion."

All three laughing, they vanished. Opal gulped. Now she knew she didn't want to help those three. The cold finally getting to her, she hurried back home. Around 2:30 she was back inside, thoughts racing through her head. Lilith was batting at a catnip ball on the floor around the bed. 

"I don't know, Lily-cat." Whispered Opal as she changed into her nightgown. "Who are the Ronins? Why the hell is there a master point in my backyard when I fixed all of them? Why does it have to be 2:30 in the morning when I really need to call Jett?" Lilith looked up and mewed. She went over to the door. Opal let her out. With a sigh, Opal decided as soon as she got up in the morning she'd call Jett.

*****************

Saturday Opal didn't wake up until noon. She rolled out of bed, literally, and crawled the way to the door. She didn't want to be up. She had a killer headache and disturbing dreams kept interfering with her sleep. After a brief internal struggle, she managed to stand and open the door.

Shin and Touma were already awake. They were eating lunch, talking in Japanese. Opal grunted a good morning before heading into the kitchen to swipe some oranges and feed Lilith a lunch of tuna.

Touma watched as she turned into the kitchen. "Where do you think she went last night?" he asked, still in Japanese.

"Beats me." Said Shin. "But I heard her come in during the early hours of the morning. Then she was pacing for a few minutes before it got quiet."

Touma frowned. "Think we should follow her next time?"

"Yep. I'll call the guys on it."

He rose to get the phone, but Opal walked out carrying it and talking to Jett. "Um… Opal? Can I talk to Jett when you're done?"

Opal nodded as Jett said something. Then she vanished into her room. Once the door was closed and the music playing, Opal went straight into what happened last night.

"Ronin Warriors?" asked Jett when Opal was finished. "I never heard of them. I can search my book of legends and such, but I don't remember reading about them."

"Alright. Next time you can get up here, I'll show you where I heard the Warlords talking."

"Right. Hold on, someone is at my door." The phone was muffled as Jett started to talk to whoever it was. "Sorry, it was mom." She said when she was finished.

"That's ok. Oh, Shin wants to talk to you. Hold on and I'll get him."

Opal opened the door and found Shin in her old Ritual Room. She handed the phone to him, then left to get dressed. She was still puzzling over her mind what happened last night. She didn't like it; that was obvious. She decided that next time one of the Warlords decided to come over, she was going to make them tell her what the hell they thought they were doing.


	5. Twin Warriors c-5

Disclaimer: I don't own Ronins… or Pumpkins…. The usual stuff.

Once again the dreaded Monday crept up on Opal and Jett. Opal, however, was looking forward for today: She wanted to see Seiji again. At the moment the two were at Jett's locker. Opal was bouncing from foot to foot, holding her English notebook and totally ignoring the present situation of the demons and the Warlords. Jett was trying to get her to concentrate, but it wasn't working. With an annoyed sigh, Jett finally let up about seeing the guys.

Jett dropped her stuff off in the auditorium. She noticed Shuu wasn't there. Shrugging it off, she joined Opal in the search for Seiji, and hopefully Shin. As much as Jett may deny it, she had fallen for him at the dance. A sudden excited squeal from Opal indicated that the boys were found in the back lobby.

Opal practically bounced up to them. As usual, there were a lot of girls around them, mostly preps and girls that Opal and Jett really didn't get along with. As well as a few preppy guys. Blake was there, talking to Ryu. Jett bit back a few biting remarks she would have liked to say to Blake as she caught a smirk on his face she didn't like.

"Hi Seiji!" said Opal cheerily. "Hi guys!"

Jett too notice that Ryu and Shin looked highly uncomfortable. Shin seemed to be trying to tell her something through his eyes, but she wasn't getting it. He was looking from Opal to Seiji to Shuu, then back at Opal. "Um… Opal—" 

"Opal, can I ask you something?" asked Seiji, interrupting Jett.

"Uh-huh, sure." 

"What makes you think I'd be interested in you?"

Opal stopped bouncing caught totally off guard. "Excuse me?"

Seiji got a strange smirk on his face. "You heard me."

Opal felt her insides freeze up. "I-I don't understand."

Shuu crossed his arms. "He only danced with you on a dare, Opal. Do you really think that he'd date you?"

Some of the other people there started to snicker. Opal felt a mixture of emotions churn inside her. Anger took over first. "You…only dated me on a bet?" She was beginning to shake.

Touma only nodded. "Yeah. Now you're getting it." The others were now laughing hard.

Shin and Ryu was trying to shut Seiji, Shuu, and Touma up. But nothing was working. And the group around them wasn't helping either.

Opal, feeling the jeers from her peers, Seiji's laugh, and stares from the passer-bys, stab her in all different directions, let her face contort into fury and hurt. She shoved past Seiji and his friends, and went into the girls' bathroom.

Jett glared at all of them, especially Seiji and Shuu. "You sick freaks." She growled under her breath. "Remember, I know where you sleep." She brushed past them, just as Shin seemed to say something. She gave him the cold shoulder.

Blake laughed. "Well, looks like the witches finally got what they deserve. Get out of our school!" Jett ignored him. 

******

Opal had her face buried in her pillow. The guidance office had sent her home she was so upset. At the moment, she was attempting to suffocate herself via pillow, though she knew it wouldn't work. Jett was calling every hour to see if she was ok and knew that if there was something wrong, she would drive here to check on her, class or no class.

Lilith jumped onto the bed, stepping on Opal to get her attention. Opal lifted her head slightly, the fresh air slightly stinging her tear stained face. Lilith purred and rubbed her head against Opal, trying to make her feel better. Opal reached over and held her, crying into her fur. She just couldn't stop crying!

Again she heard Jett's voice as she was struggling not to cry in the bathroom: "Don't worry, I'll kill him as soon as I get home and my parents are out. Tonight I'll shave their heads and hide the food." It didn't bring much comfort. She couldn't even make it to homeroom, so Jett walked her to the guidance office so they'd send her home. On the way out the door, Opal trashed her notebook she was carrying.

The phone rang. She let it ring three times before picking up. It was Jay. 

"Dude! Are you ok?" he asked. "If you want, I can curse them for you."

"Don't worry about it, I'm going to do it next time I see them."

"Which one you gonna do?"

"My favorite: the Warning. Though as from now it isn't one."

"Ouch. Are you sure you're ok? Jett is like, throwing death glances at them. She's even ignoring Shin! And he was treating her real nice Friday."

"According to her, he knew about it. Because he didn't tell either of us, that makes him just as bad." Her tone was very sharp.

"Whew… glad I never get on your bad side. Well, I better go… the lady is looking at me weird and the pee fairies might get me if I hang around the halls to long."

"I thought they only hung out in the bathrooms?"

"Um… now they wander the halls looking for unsuspecting peoples. Maybe they'll get the guys for us."

"I hope so. Talk to you later then."

"Bye." _Click._

Opal smiled a little. Jay could always get her to smile, even if she didn't want to. Lilith jumped on Opal's shoulders and licked her ear. Opal scratched Lilith's head. "Out of everyone, Lily-cat, I wish you'd shift human and talk to me."

***

Shin knocked quietly on Opal's door. He and Ryu were fuming at the others and promised Ryu he'd talk to Opal. Shin was upset that Jett wouldn't talk to him, after saying that he was as bad as the rest of them. Shuu commented that there were plenty of other chicks at the school who wanted a date with him, and Shin virtually bit off Shuu's head. 

After a few more knocks, there was no answer from Opal. He tentatively opened the door. "Opal? Can we talk?" There was no answer from her. He opened the door wide enough to peek in. Her back was turned to him and was petting Lilith. "Opal?"

"Go away," was her reply. Lilith growled slightly.

Shin ignored this. "We need to talk. Ryu and I had—"

"Yet you knew about it. Neither of you told me or Jay or Jett. We have nothing to talk about. Leave."

Shin sighed. "Alright…" He closed the door quietly and went into his room to do homework. 

******

"All we need are the Twin Warriors." Sehkmet's eyes glowed with anticipation.

"Why are they called the Twin Warriors?" wondered Kale. "They look nothing alike, they're not even related."

"We'll find out soon enough," said Dais. "You all know you're places right?"

The two Warlords nodded. Sehkmet drew two swords, letting the acid and venom drip from the blades onto the ground. The ground hissed and sizzled. "I'm to take one of them, Kale is to take the other. I vote for Jett." Kale nodded and vanished for Opal's house.

"Remember, only one for tonight, we can catch the other tomorrow." Dais was pacing the center of the clearing where Talpa awaited his awakening. Sehkmet disappeared for Jett's house. She was the target for the day.

Dais himself summoned what was left of the Nether Spirits who were loyal to Talpa instead of Kayura. The few appeared and circled around the clearing, creating the sacred space needed for his master's return.

***

Jett was in her room, Smashing Pumpkins blaring, and she was dancing around, venting her anger towards the exchange students. Normally, she'd be out hunting to do it, but everyone was wide awake, there was no way she could get out without having her parents take Fuzz Ball and Pig. She was intent on shaving Fuzz Ball's head tonight as well, so she had to wait for everyone to sleep.

A noise, despite the volume of the CD player, caught her attention. She stopped mid twirl and look out the window. She glowered. Sehkmet stood outside it. She opened her window, grabbed some quartz crystal, and held it.

"By the God and Goddess, if you don't leave, so help me I'll kill you myself. I am _not_ in the mood for your ridiculous requests!"

Sehkmet only walked through the wall. Being a spirit was so helpful at times. He looked at her and one of two drawn swords to be shown. Again, venom dripped from it. "You're coming with me, Warrior. If you don't, I'll be forced to strike you. My venom has no cure, and it's very likely my blades will catch you. Are you going to come peacefully?"

Jett looked at her floor; there was a hole forming from the poison. "Sheath those swords! My mom will kill me for having holes in the wood!" She picked up her athame and went to chuck it at Sehkmet. She wasn't going to go willingly without a fight first.

Sehkmet let the blade pass right through him. "Silly child, you cannot harm me in this form! I guess I have to take you by force." He swung a sword. Jett ducked. She was glad her CD player was going or her mom would have come in, panicked and would probably get hurt. She looked to her window from the corners of her eyes. Would she have enough time to climb through the slit after pushing out the screen? She was going to have to attempt it.

She moved quickly, back kicking the screen out so she wouldn't put herself in a corner between the desk and dresser. As Sehkmet swung down, she rolled out of the way and chucked a stake at him. It of course passed through him, but it distracted him. She used this distraction time to crawl out of the window very quickly.

Outside, she had more of an advantage, as long as she didn't move in front of the windows. _I'm going to have to leave this area, or mom and dad will catch me. Then I'll really be in for it._ Jett raced down the street, to the creek.

A laughter filled the air as she reached the creek, praying to the god there safe passage and forgiveness as she raced across the water. The water was cold in the winter night air, and not wearing a coat didn't help. She made it across, up the hill, but ran dead on into Sehkmet. She instinctively reached for her athame. It was gone.

"Looking for this, Warrior?" Sehkmet held out her athame. 

Jett growled in her throat. "Play with matches and you're gonna get burned…" Before Sehkmet could react, she drew a lighter, lighted it, and blew into the flame. The flame extended, causing the small lighter to be a blowtorch instead.

Sehkmet backed off, dropping the athame. Jett grabbed it, spun around in a crescent kick, then found herself entangled in a web. Dais smirked. "Looked like you could use some help, Sehkmet."

The Warlord of Venom snarled at Dais. "I was doing fine."

"Either way, we got her. Let's take her back, tomorrow we'll have the other one."

Despite her struggle, Jett vanished with the Warlords. 


	6. Twin Warriors c-6

Disclaimer: *Sigh…* Why is it we must put down disclaimers at every story when we all know I don't own the Ronins? And ask a martial artist what a cat stance is if you don't know if you don't know, I'll go into too much detail and get you confoozled.

Jett's house was in a panic the next morning. Thinking she was going to be late again, her mother had walked in only to find a very cold and empty bedroom. Her father called Jay to see if she was there. Jay in turn called Opal. 

Opal was in the middle of another fight with her sister about a ride to school when the phone rang. Before Drew could grab it, Opal dived for it and answered with a gruff, "Hello?" Her face fell from pissed to shock and worry. "_What_??? What do you mean she's missing?" She let herself fall to the couch. She ran a hand through her short hair.

Shin and Touma came in, hearing Opal's shouts. "What's going on?" asked Shin.

"Alright, I'll meet you at school in the lobby. I'll get mom to write a note." She hung up, ignored Shin and Touma's puzzled faces, and yelled for her mom. A moment later there was a brief argument about writing the note, but Opal came back out of the kitchen with the paper in her hands. She grabbed her keys and jumped into her car.

Twenty minutes later she had handed in her note to the office. Jay was waiting in the main lobby. His face was filled with worry. He didn't have his back with him as usual, but he was carrying pouches of herbs and stones, just in case. Opal didn't object, they might come in handy. She had her backpack, that was holding her athame and several books that told how to hold a demon in place. Just as they were about to leave, when her name was called.

Ryu came running up to her. "What the hell is going on? Seiji just told us Jett is missing. Shin is going frantic."

"I don't know what's going on, but I'm going to look for her," she said, trying to keep her anger at him from flying out.

"But you don't know where she is," said Ryu. "I want to help."

"We can do this without you, thank you very much." Opal and Jay left the building in a hurry.

***

"Damn…" muttered Jay. "Where can she be?"

Opal had drove around the entire town six times by ten in the morning. She was reluctant to tell Jay to be prepared for a demon attack, as that he wasn't a hunter. Just your normal, everyday witch. Finally they reached the woods. "Let's split up here and search." She said. "We'll cover more ground that way. If one of us gets in trouble," she handed him a flare. "Don't be afraid to use it."

Jay nodded. "Right, be careful."

"As always."

They split, Opal going through one direction, where she heard the Warlords a few nights before, Jay in the opposite direction. 

***

Jett opened her eyes. _Dammit… why is it these people can't thing of anything original? I hope they don't try burning me…_ She was tied to a pole, arms above her and legs ties by sticky threads. For some strange reason, she wasn't cold though, despite her short shirt and jeans. Her long brownish/black hair, however, hung in her face and it was annoying her. She managed to get it out of her hair so she could look around.

She was in a clearing of a forest… that much she could tell. Of what forest, well, it wasn't the one by her house that was for certain. On the ground was a strange symbol, probably Japanese or Chinese, she couldn't tell. But it had bad vibes coming off it and that made her feel uneasy. She tried to move her arms and feet, but she was tied real well.

A sudden shadow made her stop moving. She kept quiet, just in case it wasn't an ally. Then torches were lit to make the clearing even more bright and out of the shadows Dais came.

"Glad to see one of our Warriors is awake," he said.

"Yeah? Well I'm thinking of going right back to sleep, so don't get to comfortable." 

"Soon your friend will be joining us."

Jett did her best to shrug. It was kind of difficult to do seeing her hands were above her. "And I'm pretty sure you'll regret having to run into her. After yesterday, I feel almost sorry for anyone that pisses her off today."

Dais walked to the bottom of the symbol. "You and Opal are going to help us bring back Master Talpa. You don't have a say in the matter."

"Yes we do, actually. You can't make us do what we don't want to."

"We'll see about that."

****

"Jett!" yelled Opal, throwing out all caution. She was worried and really angry. "Jett! Where are you?" She had been searching for two hours now, and still no sign of her. All the while, she noticed the weather getting colder. There seemed to be more snow on the ground then what was supposed to be. She became wary of an ambush and drew her athame from her backpack. 

A few seconds later the ground began to shake and grumble. Opal fell backwards and rolled down the hill until her back rammed into a tree. Her bag and snow cushioned the whack, but not much; her spine was screaming. Slowly she got up when the ground stopped shaking. "What the hell? We don't get earthquakes in New York…" She knew it wasn't a natural earthquake, but usually she had Jett to complain to instead of just herself. She looked around, still rubbing her spine. Yep, there was something crawling out of a crack that appeared where she was standing before the quake. She quietly retrieved her athame that was a few feet downhill. When she looked back up, the demons appeared to have multiplied and were coming towards her. She swore when she realized she had been spotted.

One demon suddenly spread wings and flew at her. Opal kicked at it, hitting it in the stomach. Another extended claws and raced towards her. Opal ducked and the clawed hand went into a tree. Opal stuck her athame into the demon's kneecap. As she got back up, she was hit in the head. Opal stumbled and fell back into the snow. A quick glance around told her she was surrounded; her athame was taken from her. _So, this is how I'm going to end up: Demon fodder. Peachy._ She was preparing to do her ultimate attack when a voice stopped her.

"THUNDER BOLT CUT!" Lightning rained down from Seiji's sword and the demons were annihilated. Seiji ran over to where he spotted the trouble. "Hey, are you—Opal?! What the hell are you doing here??"

Opal glared at him through her double vision. "Oh just great. It had to be you two that had to save me." She tried to get up but fell back down. "Where's my athame?" she grumbled.

Seiji got a serious look on his face, if not a little scornful. "Answer my question."

"I could ask the same thing about you, Mr. Holier-Than-Thou!" she said angrily, finally getting her vision straight. Then she looked at him. "Oh no… Don't tell me you're one of _them_! God dammit I _knew_ it!" She took a defensive pose.

Seiji raised an eyebrow. Had his suspicions been true? Was she a Warlady? "What do you mean, 'one of them'? You're working for Talpa!"

Opal spat. "Right. And you're the Queen of England."

"Opal!" Called Ryu. He came running up in his red armor. "I'm so glad you're ok!" He was holding her athame.

Opal looked from Ryu to Seiji, both in armor. Armor like the Warlords, yet different. "Just who are you guys?"

"We're the Ronin Warriors," replied Ryu. He handed her the athame.

"So that makes Touma, Shin and Shuu…"

"Yep," replied Seiji. "Now get moving for home. You're going to get into more trouble wandering around here. We'll find Jett."

"Bite me." Opal spat. "If my estimates are correct she's been taken by the Warlords. And _I'm_ going to get her. She doesn't need help from sickos who humiliate people after the first date, or any date."

Despite her bruised spine and pride, she started up the hill, looking for any more dangers. When she came to large crack in the ground, she leaped across it. But then Ryu and Seiji were on her tail as well. "You're going to need help fighting the Warlords," said Ryu in a firm voice. "Let us help you." He handed her the athame.

"I restate my earlier claim: Bite me. I can handle this myself." She took it and sheathed it.

"You couldn't handle a few demons," said Seiji. "How do you expect to handle the Warlords?"

Opal rounded on him. "Ok, first of all, go sliding down this hill at warp speed and have you spine smashed into a tree. Then get knocked upside the head a few times while you're still down. It's awfully hard to fight demons when you're seeing double!"

"Hey, are you guys ok?" Shin jumped down from a tree along with Shuu and Touma.

"Oh just great." Muttered Opal. "More sickos to fill my day." She was in a really bad mood. 

"The city is already changing," reported Touma. "It's like a ghost town."

"Well, the symptoms are usual." Muttered Ryu. "Fine, let's move."

Laughter echoed the woods. "Ronins, Ronins, Ronins. We meet at last again."

Kale appeared in a tree. Immediately Opal took a cat-stance; her left hand was holding her athame and her right hand was flat open. The Ronins prepared to fight also.

"Don't bother, Ronins. I'm here for the Warrior. Master Talpa will deal with you."

"Kale, shove it up your ass," said Opal. "I ain't going anywhere with you."

"But your friend wishes to see you. Are you going to leave her hanging, quite literally?"

Shin, wondering what Kale was talking, suddenly got a nasty look on his face. "What did you do to her?"

The Warlord of Corruption merely smiled. "You will find out soon enough." He made a step towards Opal. "Now, join me."

As Kale took another step, Opal thrust her athame unto the air. "WIND BLAST!" The wind picked up and blew strong gusts of air at Kale, pelting him with sticks, branches, pine needles, and ice shards. Granted it didn't do much against armor, but it distracted him long enough for Opal to swiftly grab a stake from her bag and chuck it in between Kale's armor plates.

The Ronins looked at Opal. She had moved with the swiftness of a cheetah and never faltered. Who was she?

Opal looked at them. "What are you five gawking at? Get moving already! You're better equipped with fighting him then I!"

At this, Shuu launched at Kale. Shuu was knocked aside by the claws on Kale's armor. Seiji and Touma attacked at the same time. As the no-datchi was being swung and arrows flew, Opal prepared to send Kale into the earth. But a hand was clapped over her mouth and her arms were pinned to the sides. She tried to kick backwards, but she was pulled off balance. 

_Great. One thing after another. Why can't I have a normal life?_

******

"Man, this burns me!" exclaimed Shuu. "Where'd he go?" Kale had vanished as well as Opal.

Shin shook his head. "We need to find Jett and Opal. I have a feeling that Kale and the other Warlords will do something stupid with them."

Shuu raised an eyebrow. He was about to make a comment when Ryu interrupted him. "I sense Nether Spirits nearby."

"And I hear chanting," said Seiji. "This way!"

****

"They caught you too, huh?" asked Jett as Opal was being webbed to a pole.

"Only under unfair circumstances," muttered Opal. "After this fight I'm not moving for a week: Smashed into a tree."

"I was wondering why I felt like screaming."

"Sorry."

Dais finished tying up Opal. "Now, you too will help us in reviving Ma—"

"Hey Spider Man wanna-be!" Interrupted Jett. "Can we hold this off for a few minutes? I really have to pee."

Opal started laughing hard at the look on Dais's face. "No!" he replied. "We need to do this now."

"Please?" asked Jett. "Show some friggin' compassion already! I've had to go since last night! I' being a good prisoner. Can't I have a bathroom right? I promise I'll even tie myself back up! Just let me go pee!"

"No!" Dais said shortly. "Now—"

"If you don't let me go to the bathroom, you're gonna have to listen to me whine. And I can get really annoying."

Opal gave Dais a pleading look. "Please let her! She'll do it, and I don't want to hear her whine!"

Dais ignored Opal and the Warlords took their places besides him. Nether Spirits took a random spot above the symbol in the ground and began chanting. Sehkmet prepared one of his swords to cut the girls with. Opal looked at Jett and Jett looked at Opal. They both nodded to each other, understanding each other without words.

"I really gotta pee!" yelled Jett, causing Kale to turn around and give the two a sharp look. "Listen to me," continued Jett. "If you don't tie me right now to let me go to the bathroom, there is going to be Jett goo all over the place because I'm going to explode!"

Still, the Warlords ignored her. Ten minutes later, Sehkmet finally grew tired of hearing about a bathroom break and turned to Dais. "Will you let her go already? I'm getting a headache."

Grumbling about obnoxious girls, Dais finally let Jett go. She promised she'd be right back and ran off to the bushes. Opal smothered her laughter and prepared to do some telepathy.


	7. Twin Warriors c-7

Disclaimer: I know, the last one was a little queer, but that's my buddy for ya J Again, don't own Ronins, but if I did, Sage would be presently tied to my bed and I wouldn't be giving this to you people. *Evil grin as she looks at Sage*

_No! You're kidding me! They can't be the Ronins!_ Jett was complaining telepathically as she went to look for the guys.

_Do you think I was too happy when Seiji rescued me?_ Asked Opal in return. _No, I wanted to get those demons back and have them kill me instead. So deal with it and get me outta here! Sehkmet is looking at me funny…_

Jett broke the connection and continued her search for the Ronins. Now that her bladder was relieved, she could concentrate on them and their energies. She didn't feel like dealing with Shin and his friends, but at this rate, she didn't have a choice. 

She ran around in circles for a few more seconds, trying to figure out where to go. Finally she chose a direction away from the symbol sight, and ran as quietly as she could. She wished for her athame. Eventually, she spotted something metallic against the gleam of the dying sunlight. She went into stalking mode just in case it was a Warlord, then tackled it to the ground. The person went down with an "Oof!"

Touma threw his opponent off of him and went to attack when he realized it was Jett. "There you are! What the hell happened? Have you seen Opal?"

Jett wasted no time. "Get your friends and follow me. Opal is currently being held hostage, and I'm only on leave because I had a bathroom break."

Touma gave her an odd glance before shooting an arrow in the air. A moment later the four other Ronins showed. Before they could ask questions, Jett instructed them to follow her and be quiet. They did as she asked. When they were a few feet within the clearing, Jett stopped everyone. "Stay here until the time is right," she whispered, then wen into the clearing. "I'm back! Thank you Dais!" 

"Women take too damn long going to the bathroom. Kayura did all the time," he muttered to himself as he tied Jett back up. 

Opal looked over at Jett. _They here?_

_Yeah, but hiding until the right moment. Whenever that is._

_Peachy. You know, Sehkmet was hitting on me! And it was really gross!_

_I am so sorry,_ apologized Jett. _Anything important happen?_

_Yeah, I had my blood taken out of my thigh._

Jett mentally cursed. She hadn't noticed the small puddle of blood underneath Opal. She watched as Kale poured something red into a fire. The fire flared a strange gray color. Jett's heart began to race faster, realizing that they were summoning this Talpa guy.

Opal was feeling faint. She never liked blood, and loosing this much in one battle was really making her feel sick. A scratch she could handle. A poisoned sword to the leg she couldn't. The ground was beginning to look funny. Opal forced herself to concentrate on Earth's healing powers to rid the poison from her body. "Now is the time, now is the hour…" she managed to whisper before the world became black.

***

"What the hell is going on?" asked Shin. Sehkmet was drawing too close to Jett for his own comfort. The Warlord of Venom's sword was drawn and was reaching for her upper thigh.

"Looks like a strange way to bring back Talpa," muttered Rowen. "When do you think we should interfere?"

"Now!" Shouted Shin, not waiting to see the effects of Sehkmet's poison on Jett. "SUPAH WAVE SMASHAH!"

Sehkmet, taken by surprise, was knocked off his feet. Jett looked over and smiled a thanks then started to work her binding off. Touma, Ryu and Seiji jumped at Dais and Kale. Shuu went to untie the unconscious Opal while Shin untied Jett.

"Dude… her leg is bleeding rather badly…"

"I think she was poisoned," said Jett as she jumped down from her pole. She looked at the other Ronins. "Let's move! Ignore these guys for now!" 

Ryu knocked Dais upside the head first before heading Jett's way. "C'mon, Seiji!" Seiji nodded and the seven retreated into the forest. 

***

"How is she doing?" asked Ryu, his face lined with worry and concern.

Jett wiped her brow. "I don't know… she isn't responding to the herbs or the healing."

"Perhaps I can try something," stepped up Seiji, remembering what he had done for Ryu's eyes. "My armor can heal."

Jett shot him a very nasty look. "Hurt her and I can promise you: You won't survive the encounter."

Seiji ignored her and placed the tip of his no-dachi above the jagged, still bleeding wound in Opal's leg. He tilted it until the last of the sun's rays hit the sword and the wound disappeared. Opal's breathing became somewhat regular again. Seiji put away his sword. "See? No harm done."

Jett still was shooting him dirty looks. But she couldn't keep this up long; she was cold. Outside in the forest in the middle of winter without a jacket or long sleeved shirt wasn't the smartest thing in the world. "Ryu? Could you lift Opal until we got to her house? I know the way from here and it isn't far. We need someplace warm for her."

Ryu nodded and picked up Opal. She probably had hypothermia by now. He hoped the warmth of his armor would help a little. He and the others followed Jett without a word, though the Ronins were wondering just who these two were. Jett was wondering how the hell she was going to get into the house since the guys explained that everything was dead and deserted and Opal unconscious.

"Wait a minute, where's Jay?" asked Jett. In the commotion, she had forgotten all about her friend.

"We told him to go home," answered Shuu. "It was going to be way too dangerous for a dude like him to stick around."

"What do you mean, 'a dude like him'???" asked Jett harshly, taking it the wrong way.

"Easy, Jett." Said Seiji. "He just meant someone who couldn't fight, that's all."

Jett was about to make a sharp reply at the blonde warrior, but bit it back when she saw Opal's house… and a strange glowing in it. "What the hell?" 

"I'll check it out," said Touma. As he approached though, the door opened, and there stood a strange woman. She was wearing long white robes and a gold bracelet. She had long, curly, raven black hair with patches of white streaked through. Around the head was a glittering headband, seemingly made by Elven hand. Touma had to stop in his tracks. "Who are you?" He asked, eyes somewhat glazed over. The woman only beckoned them in, taking Opal from Ryu despite his protests. Jett entered the house unafraid. The guys were hesitant, but entered. 

Inside the place was surprisingly warm for a house that wasn't supposed to have heat due to electrical problems. Candles lit the entire house and gave it an old fashioned look. The woman set Opal lovingly on the couch and stroked her hand on her forehead. Opal groaned and her eyes fluttered open. "Lilith? Damn, I must have been seriously injured for you to pop out of nowhere."

"Shh…" the strange lady said. "Rest. You have been healed by the Armor of Halo from the poison, however the effects will still affect you." She smiled at Opal and turned to the Ronins and Jett. 

Jett curtsied. "Nice to see you again, Lady Lilith."

Lilith smiled and bowed her head. "And you too, Warrior. As for Jay, do not worry, he is in a sleep until this ordeal is over with." Jett sighed with relief.

"Wait a minute," said Touma. "Lilith is the name of Opal's cat. How is it you know these two?"

"Yeah," said Shuu, not trusting her, although he'd like to get a date with her at one point. "Wait, Opal had a cat?"

Jett shot both of them dirty looks. "Lilith is a familiar. She only changes to human form when great danger arises."

Shin bowed, though clumsily in his armor. "Pleased to meet you, Lilith. I'm glad we get to meet to where we can actually talk."

***

The six sat in a circle around Lilith. Opal was forced to stay on the couch. The Ronins had toned down to their sub-armors, despite Jett saying that it was completely safe now that Lilith was in control of the energies in the house. Lilith had explained what had happened: How Opal's family and the neighbors suddenly vanished, when the electricity and other power sources went out, and the strange disturbances that had been happening all day. Then she explained about herself to the Ronins.

"Familiars are spirits who decide to stay with a person or persons and protect them throughout their lives, whether they be a witch or a normal person. Usually we never have to go to our human or human like forms. But when one works with a demon hunter, such as Opal and Jett, it is sometimes necessary to do so in great times of need. This is one of them. 

"Talpa has already begun his arrival to this world again. Last time he just needed to wait for his power to be regained. But that was because he was in his home country. In another country, one must adapt to its magic customs to do what one wants. The Warlords discovered that the blood of the Twin Warriors could bring him, given willingly or forcefully. Though he only has half, it will make him strong enough to come back into this world. And he will seek Jett's blood to gain his full potential."

"But what are the Twin Warriors?" asked Seiji. "They aren't related."

"We're considered Twin Warriors because we have spent a lot of life times together," said Opal. "We have fine-tuned our powers so that we can know what the other will do without asking for a plan. And our soul link is powerful: others can feel it. Sometimes it makes people think we're twins." 

The Ronins sat silent at this. This was a whole lot of new stuff for them to contemplate. Shin was looking at Jett. She seemed so serene in this atmosphere. Not tense or ready to bite someone's head off. He wanted to reach out and hold her, but that seemed inappropriate at the moment. That and she might turn around and smack him for it; she was probably still angry with him about Seiji.

Lilith looked at the group. "Sleep, warriors. The day grows old, and you need sleep for the new day tomorrow."

Jett helped Opal up and down the stairs to her room. The Ronins headed for Touma and Shin's room. Lilith kept watch over the house, waiting and bidding her time for Talpa to show his face. 

***

Early morning. There was no sunrise as Opal had hoped for. She usually got up early just for it. Now she was in her garage, searching for hidden weapons that she might be able to use. She closed the box she had been searching for and went through another, occasionally muttering under her breath about having to hid things from her parents and cleaning the garage out.

Seiji knocked on the door softly. "Want some help?"

"From a pig-headed male? No thanks, I can handle this one." Opal growled without looking up. She felt a surge of anger that had been bottled up for the past few days.

Seiji didn't respond to this. "I want to apologize."

Opal still didn't look up. "Right. You want to apologize now just so you can get a testosterone rush again? Or are you apologizing because you think I'm equal to you because I can fight? Either way, you're still a ass hole and you can go screw yourself."

"I wanted to apologize for treating you like I did. I didn't think that you actually cared as much as you did—"

Opal spun around on her heels, fists clenched. "You didn't think? It was pretty damn obvious!" She was careful to keep her voice down so she wouldn't wake the others. 

Seiji looked at the ground, feeling his face go red for the first time in a long time. "Shin showed me the notebook you threw away." He looked up to meet her eyes. "I admit it, I can be a total jerk. But I never had—"

Opal threw her hands in the air and went back to searching the boxes. There it was: Her sword and crossbow. She uncovered them and got them out, tying her sword to her belt loop. Her crossbow she hefted onto her arm and aimed it at Seiji. "Leave me alone. I want nothing to do with you anymore." And she walked past him he moved out of the way, knowing he had probably ruined his chance. 


	8. Twin Warriors c-8

Disclaimer: The usual stuff. And I don't own Shakespeare. There is a line from one of his sonnets in here.

"Ai… Look at them, circling the place like a pack of wolves," Opal was looking out the window, waiting for Touma to get his lazy ass out of bed. 

"And I am personally very insulted that you used that term." Said Jett, fingering the arrow to the crossbow.

"Sorry." Replied Opal. "How long do you think it's gonna be until we can get back to our semi-normal lives?"

"Probably never, at this rate," grumbled Jett. She walked to the stairway. "Touma! Get your lazy ass out of bed so we can get moving!" she yelled.

There was a loud growl as the door opened. The other Ronins had already eaten breakfast and were devising ways of getting rid of Talpa again. There were votes on the White Inferno again, but it was unlikely Talpa would fall for the same trick and they didn't have the Jewel of Life with them this time. Then there was just beating him to a bloody pulp, which was Kento's idea. 

Lilith stood in the corner of the room; quietly observing what was going on. She had been in this form all night to keep watch over the energies she was now controlling. As long as she lasted, the Warlords could get in. Even Talpa would have some trouble. She turned her gaze from the Ronins to Opal and Jett. They had indeed come a long way. How long ago was it when she had first met up with Opal this life? Lilith couldn't remember. To her, time was something that held little importance in the flow of things. 

She made sure Touma had eaten and was ready before calling the two groups together. She studied each youth in turn, turning her eyes only. "The time of tests have come," she said finally. "You must work as a team to keep Talpa from reviving completely. Ignore you differences or pasts arguments. If you don't… this world is lost. The reason why Talpa keeps returning is because of negative Human emotions. Your emotions toward each other in the past made him stronger. He will be stronger still if you don't put the past behind you. Don't let him win this fight."

Opal bowed her head. "I will do my best not to disappoint you, Lilith."

Jett nodded. "Likewise."

"We'll kick his ass again she make him go back to the hole he came from!" said Kento.

Lilith smiled. "Then go, warriors. Free this realm from its folly."

A moment later the candles went out simultaneously and Lilith had turned back to cat form, mewing at them to hurry it up. Opal scratched Lilith's ears and led the way out.

***

The barrier was down. Sehkmet could feel it dissipate. He smiled evilly in his armor. The timing was just right. He waited for all seven of them to step into the open. The Ronins were in sub-armor. The Warriors were in no armor but carried weapons other then their athames. Interesting. Did they really expect to win the battle this time? The Warlord of Venom drew two of his sword quickly and threw them, just missing Shin's head and Opal's hand. Where the swords struck a hissing sound was made and the stone and wood began to melt. He laughed.

"Ok, that so not funny," said Opal, glancing at the sword that would have impaled her hand. She drew her sword off her back. 

"Agreed," said Jett. She was glaring at Sehkmet as she hefted the crossbow onto her arm and aimed it at him. "If he so much as hurts a hair on Shin's head his nuts are coming off."

Shin blushed but got his kanji orb ready. "Do you really think you can take all seven of us?" asked Shin.

Sehkmet laughed. "Of course I can. SNAKE FANG STRIKE!"

His attack flew at the group. They dodged out of reach, now separated. Ryu looked as his fellow Ronins. "Ronins to arms! Armor of Wildfire, Dao Djin!"

"Armor of Strata, Dao Inoachi!"

"Armor of Hard Rock, Dao Gi!"

"Armor of Torrent, Dao Shin!"

"Armor of Halo, Dao Chi!"

A flash of light and a lot of flower petals later the five were in armor. Shin readied his trident to spear Sehkmet. Jett shot an arrow from the crossbow at him. Opal was about to strike with her sword when Ryo was suddenly flung at her and landed on her. Pain exploded through her. That armor was _not_ light. Ryu quickly got up. "Opal, are you ok?"

"No, I just got whacked with your armor!" She said, allowing him to help her up.

As Ryo was apologizing, there was the sound of Kale calling out his sure kill. Seiji was countering it. Ryu went after Sehkmet. After the two attacks died down, Opal charged after Kale, her sword horizontal and ready to impale him. She was knocked aside. Anger surged through her. "That's it! I've had enough! EARTHLY—"

Jett's shriek stopped her. Opal turned around and saw that Dais had her friend. Jett was kicking backwards to get at Dais, but her attacks weren't penetrating the armor. He grinned as he held one arm by Jett's throat and drew blood with his free hand. Jett gritted her teeth, refusing to scream. Opal glowered, but couldn't move in fear of bringing harm to Jett. Shin was shaking visibly with anger. After he collected enough, Jett was dropped and rolled out of the way.

"Now Master Talpa will be revived!" 

Shin let out a really strange noise in the back of his throat. "Let those whom nature hath not made for store harsh, featureless, and rude, barrenly perish!" He leapt after Dais, knocking the vial of Jett's blood Dais held out of his hands. He took his trident and just started beating the living hell out of the Warlord of Illusion.

Everyone just looked at the fight. The Ronins expected Shin to speak in Shakespeare. They've never seen him pissed. Well, pissed off enough for him to use Shakespeare in anger. The other two warlords seemed almost amused at seeing Dais getting his ass kicked by the weakest Ronin on land. Opal used this opportunity to drag Jett out of the way and motioned for Ryu to get moving. Ryu nodded, motioned to the other Ronins, and started attacking the other warlords again. They kept out of Shin's way though. When he did get pissed, it was uncontrollable and it was best to let him handle it his own way. He was handling Dais pretty well on his own.

Opal started working on healing Jetts arm. "Holy Earth…" she chanted. "Heal my friend's wound." It began to heal up.

Jett flexed her arm when she was finished. "Wow… that was unexpected." She was watching Shin fight with the old look in her eyes. "I didn't know he was a Shakespeare freak."

"You haven't spent a week at my house when he's yelling it in his sleep," grumbled Opal. "Ready to fight?"

"Yeah, let's get these asses."

Jett and Opal took stances besides each other. "Wait a minute." Said Opal "I got an idea. Remember the _Witch's Warning_ Jay gave to us?" 

"Yeah. What about it?"

Opal grinned and pointed her left pointer finger at Sehkmet. Jett got the hint and pointed her right pointer at Kale. Together, they chanted:

_"Blood turn black and flesh turn blue,_

I'll curse you if you force me to

By the left hand and unclean food.

I'll curse your eyes, I'll curse you eyes.

I'll call down a plague of flies.

Blood go black and flesh go blue

Evil from me back to you.

My soul is clean and yours on fire

You fuck with a witch

You get burned, Liar!"

Out of Jett's hand came a ball of fire, her element, and she shot it freely at Kale. It wouldn't harm Seiji or Ryu. Opal let the Earth Mother give her power as she charged up and centered a ball of energy in her hands. Then with a yell she sent it towards Sehkmet. Hers also wouldn't hurt the Ronins. 

The energy connected. Sehkmet went flying backwards and into her neighbor's house. Opal groaned. He left a big hole in the side of the house. Kale smashed into the metal clothes liner, totally deforming it. The four Ronins turned to look at the girls with open jaws. The girls shrugged and looked towards Shin. He had him by the throat and was preparing to make a Dais shish kabob. 

"Shin!" called Jett. "We're leaving without you!"

Shin looked over his shoulder. The anger was replaced with relief and her let Dais go. He jogged over to her. "Are you ok?"

She nodded, smiling at him. "Let's move before these guys regain their senses."

Shin now looked over at Sehkmet and Kale. "Wow… what did you guys do to them?"

"Explain later, move now," said Opal. "Hope you guys don't mind a eleven mile hike seeming the car won't work."

Everyone groaned. "Opal, you need to move into the city."

"Parent's choice, not mine." She started to lead the way to town.

***

"Finally! Civilization!" Shuu kissed the ground beneath him.

"You know, I never thought I'd be coming here willing," said Jett as she broke open the school window to open the door.

"Heh heh heh," giggled Opal. "Perhaps we should do something to the boilers or something so we can't have school after this is finished."

"Now why would you do that?" asked Touma. "School is supposed to be fun."

Ryu looked at him as he opened the door. "You're the genius. You don't need to go to school. You should go straight to college instead."

"And miss out on my classes and you guys making a fool of yourselves? Naw, I think I'll stick around."

"Why are we here?" asked Seiji.

Opal was currently breaking into locked doors to find the right room. "One: We have more of a place to hide if necessary. Two: We have the upper hand in that we know this place better then they do at the moment. And three: Schools have hidden weapons." Opal gave up on trying to picklock the damn door open and gave it a few quick sidekicks to break it down. "Hey! It's the boilers!"

"Oh no…" groaned Ryu and Jett and Opal went to check it out. 

"I light the fire if you get the buckets." Said Jett.

Opal pushed through the guys and raced off to the janitors' area. Jett stood back from the boilers and pointed at it. "_Fire._" The area beneath the boilers lit up in flame to do its work. Opal returned with several buckets.

"Can we help any?" asked Ryu.

Jett thought for a moment. "Yeah. See if you can find me a hose, Ryu. Touma, I want you to check out the perimeter. Shuu there should be some wire and stuff in the art rooms. Shin, you can stay with me. Seiji, check out the cafeteria for something we can use. Opal-"

"I'll check out the janitors' tools."

"Ok."

They separated. In the janitors' area, she started breaking into chests and stuff to find to use. She pulled out some weird tool she had never seen in her life. "What the hell is this? Oh well." She tossed it back into the chest and moved on. After a few minutes, she had a few useful tools and headed back to the boiler room. She peeked her head in to see what was up, then shook her head. There was Jett and Shin making out. She cleared her throat loudly. "Hey, virgin eyes are watching this!"

The jumped back, blushing furiously. "Opal, I know where you sleep, remember that." Jett took the tools from her. "Um… What do you plan to use these for?"

Opal picked up one. "See how heavy it is? Remember Home Alone? I say dump a whole bunch of these on top of their heads."

Jett smiled. "Ok. You and your ideas sometimes."

Shin was still blushing like mad hell. "I'll- err- go help Seiji." And he ran off. Opal laughed as she started to set up the trap, loosening some of the hot water boiler bolts.

****

Dais shook his head clear, finally getting the ringing out of his head. He looked around for the vial, his first concern. He found it practically buried in the snow. He retrieved it and smiled. "Sehkmet, Kale! Get up, we're going to revive Master Talpa."

They got up groaning. "Wait until I get my hands on them…" muttered Sehkmet.

"Never mind them, we're going to hurry and do the ritual." Dais led the two back to the clearing in the woods. He was preparing the vial of blood when Kale jumped back in shock. Dais turned, annoyed. "What is going on?"

"T-the symbol j-just moved." He stammered.

"Kale's scared," taunted Sehkmet. "Mayhap he hasn't been loyal to Talpa?"

Kale turned on the Warlord of Venom, glaring and ready to pounce on him. "Shut up! I have been more loyal to Talpa then you have! Who was it that found the way to bring him back, and found out where?"

"Shut up, the both of you!" yelled Dais. He had almost completed the ritual of pouring the goblet of blood onto the symbol. Kale and Sehkmet shut up and watched as Dais finished. Sehkmet poured the blood onto the symbol.

After a few moments, the Nether Spirits began to chant and swirl around the symbol. The symbol began to glow and pulse with the rhythm of the chants. The warlords waited expectantly. This is what they had been waiting for. The ground shook slightly and there was a groan. A few minutes later, a Nether gate appeared. 

Talpa had been revived. 


	9. Twin Warriors c-9

Disclaimer: The usual.  
  
Talpa laughed evilly as the Nether gate opened. The Nether spirits went inside the Dynasty, glad to be back in their realm. When the gate was wide open and showing the full view of the Dynasty, Talpa's face appeared.  
  
"My Warlords, you have been most faithful." The sky was beginning to turn blacker then night. "Where are the two who has helped with this revelation?"  
  
"They got away, Master," said Sehkmet. "The Ronins saved them.  
  
"Ah… so they are here too. Bring them to me. I have to repay them for their insolence. And this time, nothing can stop us!"  
  
"Yes, Master," said all three Warlords.  
***  
"Tada!" said Opal, backing away from her trap.  
  
"And how is this supposed to work again?" asked Touma skeptically.  
  
Opal stuck her tongue out at him. "I've already explained it. I'm not doing it again."   
  
Seiji looked out a window. "I don't like this. The Warlords have been too quiet."  
  
"They'll be here," said Shuu, chowing down on something chocolate. "You can bet on it."  
  
Jett examined the trap one more time. The boilers were rigged so that someone just had to turn the valve once to get out the scalding hot water, which would shoot out of a pipe directly at a Warlord. Once the water had shot out whoever was in there would cut a string to the side and bring down a net made out of tough string. This was only one trap. They needed too more. "Ok, who has this one?" asked Jett.  
  
"I got it," said Opal. "I got a plan I want to do for this." She gave a sly grin.  
  
Jett nodded. "Alrighty then. You can help us with the other two traps."  
  
They went to the next room they planned to use. The library was a perfect place to do this, despite Shin and Touma's arguments. They were afraid of harming the books. But eventually they gave in and started to rig up shelves and the computers. Seiji watched as Opal pulled out a hidden laptop from underneath a desk and turned it on. She had a video on there in no time.  
  
"How did you accomplish that?" asked Seiji. "There isn't a camera hooked to it."  
  
"You're not using your eyes," she said, somewhat gruffly. "This laptop his a camera installed into it." She put it on the table. "Ok, who has this one?"  
  
"Shin and I do!" said Jett. "I'm ready for my close-up, Mr. Daville!"  
  
"Ok, head off to the shelves and pretend you're running behind them."  
  
Jett took up the part of an actress very well. She hid behind one of the shelves. Opal nodded to say that the cameras were rolling. Jett peeked around a corner of the shelf, then ran across the gap to hid behind the one next to it. Shin followed. Both were very good. They finished putting a net up along the ceiling above the computer.  
  
"Ok, next room." Touma and Shuu were to have the chemistry room. Here they made smoke bombs and acid bombs under Touma's guidance.  
  
"Are you sure you don't go around planning raids against people?" asked Jett as she finished her second acid bomb.  
  
"Don't be ridiculous," said Touma. "How much string do we have left?"  
  
"Plenty," said Shuu. "Another net?"  
  
"Naw, just some string to tie them up with."   
  
Shuu nodded and finished up his bombs. By now, it was getting dark and everyone's stomach was growling. They raided the school freezers and made a small meal. They ate in silence. Opal reviewed the plan in her head. Seiji and Ryu were to bring the Warlords to the traps. Opal was going to deal with Sehkmet; she wanted some revenge for him hitting on her. Dais was going to deal with Shin and Jett while Kale was going to Touma and Shuu. It seemed simple enough: disable them from using weapons and knock them unconscious and lock them into a room together. Then deal with Talpa.  
  
After they were done Seiji and Ryu went to go and wait for the Warlords. Opal followed, seeming her place was on the way. Opal pulled out a flashlight and handed it to Ryu. "Use this to signal me when they come."  
  
"Are you sure you're going to be alright?" asked Seiji.  
  
"Funny how you should seem so concerned about me now," she hissed at him before stalking off to the boiler room. Seiji sighed.  
  
"I told you that joke wasn't worth it," said Ryu, walking to the front doors.  
  
"Trust me, I'm already beginning to regret it."  
***  
  
Opal waited, the really bright flashlight she found reflecting dim shadows off the wall. Waiting was so boring. She really didn't have that much to think about or she would have enjoyed this moment of peace. She sighed, her thought wandering to Seiji. He looked and sounded sincere a while ago; but then again he sounded sincere and honest when he pulled that stupid prank on her too. Why did men have to be so difficult? And why was he being sincere now? Was it because she too could fight? Or was he actually feeling sorry for what he did? She shrugged. It didn't matter; she wasn't going to forgive him.  
  
She looked up as she saw the Ryu's flashlight bounce up and down and taunts of 'bucket head' and other such names came down the hall. She waited for the two Ronins to pass and what looked like Kale and Dais. She smiled and opened the door. "Hey, snake man!" She leaned against the doorframe.  
  
Sehkmet stopped and turned around looking for the source. Then he saw Opal. He grinned maliciously. "Well, well, well. Look who I found. Master Talpa wishes to meet you."  
  
Opal gave him a seductive glance. "Forget Talpa. It's you I want. I've really been thinking about what you told me, before you decided to cut me. And I've decided. You are definitely better then the Ronins. Snakes have always been my favorite animals."  
  
Sehkmet's eyes got huge. He got over his initial shock and this started to walk over to her. Opal beckoned him into the room with her pointer finger and slipped into the room's shadows. Before he walked in she took a step by the valve and made ready to move it. Sehkmet moved into the room. As soon as he was directly in front of the pipe she turned the valve, spraying him with scalding hot water.   
  
"My eyes!" Sehkmet covered his eyes from the hot water.  
  
"Serves ya right for taking me serious." She said as she cut the roped and entangled Sehkmet in the net or string.  
  
"Wait until I get my hands on you, you wretch!" He only got himself more tangled in the mess.  
  
Opal sighed and tied him tight. "Now, now. Didn't your mother ever tell you to be nice?"  
***  
  
"Kale! I'm over here!" called Seiji. "Unless you're afraid of the dark that is!"  
  
"You insolent little brat! You'll pay for that insult!"   
  
Seiji ducked into the chemistry room. He called out to Kale again and the Warlord of Corruption lumbered into the room. The second he walked into the room, Shuu popped up from behind a lab table. "Hey ugly! How many morons does it take to duck?"  
  
"What? You dare-" He was interrupted by an acid bomb thrown by Touma. The hydrochloric acid began to eat its way through the armor. Kale screamed as the acid hit bare skin. Seiji jumped behind him and knocked him out, then strung him up.   
  
"Jeez, I thought that was going to be harder." Commented Seiji.  
  
"Let's just get the big oaf into the room Jett told us about," said Shuu. The three began to drag Kale down the stairs.  
***  
  
"When do you think they'll be coming?" asked Shin, feeling Jett's warmth on his arm.  
  
"Don't know. I hope not too soon. You're comfy."  
  
Shin was glad it was dark so she couldn't see him blushing. He was so glad when she told him she had forgiven him for not telling her what Seiji was going to do. He hugged her lightly, leaning against the bookshelf. He thought he heard footsteps down the hall and Ryu's taunts towards Dais. He sighed as Jett pulled away from him. "Get ready."  
  
Ryu burst into the library backwards, sticking his tongue out at Dais. "C'mon, I know you can do better then that!"  
  
"Wildfire, when I catch you, you are going to suffer a very slow and painful death. Then you're White Armor will belong to Master Talpa."  
  
Ryu coughed. "Sure. In your dreams." He coughed some more as he led him to the computer. He looked at it in alarm. "Jett! Shin! Get out of here and let me deal with this!"  
  
Dais watched as Shin ducked behind a shelf. He grinned. "So Torrent and the girl is here. Master Talpa will be pleased."  
  
Ryu moved to the bookshelf where they had 'moved'. "I won't let you get her Dais."  
  
"You don't exactly have a choice, Ryu."  
  
"Oh really now?" asked Jett from behind Dais. At that moment Shin brought the net down on the Warlord of Illusion. Jett knocked him unconscious. "That was easy."  
  
Shin nodded. Ryu sighed. "Ok, now we just need to get Talpa and send him back."  
  
"I think I can dig up something on sealing a gateway." Said Jett, kicking Dais for the hell of it. "C'mon, let's met with the others."  
***  
  
The three Warlords were tied tight to a pipe in the janitors' closet. All weapons were removed. The seven looked down at their handiwork. Opal and Jett had their arms crossed and were grinning. Shuu was dangling a carrot in front of Dais and asking how long it would take Dais to snap at the carrot. Shaking their heads, they dragged Shuu away from the Warlords and walked out of the school.  
  
"So what's our next plan of action?" asked Seiji.  
  
Jett yawned. "It's gotta be close to nine. Give or take an hour. I say we break into Jay's and stay there. And there we can check out to see if he has any spells to close a gate." They all agreed and went to Jays, which wasn't that far from the school. Jett picked the lock and let everyone in.  
  
"Are you sure Jay won't mind?" asked Ryu.  
  
"According to Lilith, he won't remember a thing." Said Opal heading up the stairs to Jay's sacred space.  
  
The room was really neat and smelled of herbs. It also sensed of peace and tranquility. Black and white pictures of people from the past hung on the walls as well as pictures of different gods and goddesses. Candles and book of shadows lay on small shelves. A closet led to stored herbs. In one corner was an altar; in another was a desk with a fish tank. An arm chair, computer and a t.v. were the only other furniture in the room. It was a comfortable room.   
  
Opal and Jett went straight to work looking through various books. The Ronins stood there, not quite what to do. The girls tossed them various books. "Start searching for something to help us." Said Jett. They did as commanded.  
  
A few hours later, Opal rubbed her eyes. Reading by candlelight was beginning to give her a headache. She looked at the others. Jett had fallen asleep against Shin, an open book on the floor. Shin was leaning against the t.v. stand, starting to nod off. Ryu was apparently wide-awake. Touma was curled up on the floor and Shuu was using him as a pillow, snoring loudly. Seiji was occasionally looking from his book to look at Opal. Opal ignored him, but she too was starting to fall asleep. She put her book down with her notes and yawned.  
  
"Get some sleep," said Ryu. "Seiji and I will keep watch."  
  
Opal nodded and leaned against the chair. She closed her eyes and fell into a fitful sleep.  



	10. Twin Warriors c-10

Disclaimer: I don't own the Ronins, I don't own Mars, and I don't own Milky ways. Yes, I am in a weird mood.

Seiji watched Opal sleep. He himself couldn't sleep much, not with the anxiety of Talpa attacking at any moment. She sighed, turning over. His heart thudded slightly as he looked on her face. _I was such a moron_, _he_ thought to himself. _It figures I'd find someone and not realize it_. He looked over at everyone else. Jett had her chest on Shin's chest; Shin's arm was around her waist, cheek on top of her head. Seiji felt a pang of jealousy, so he quickly looked away. Touma was dead asleep. Shuu was next to him, snoring loudly. Ryu was awake also, looking out the window. 

"Anything the matter, Ryu?" Asked Seiji.

Ryu shook his head. "I'm worried. Talpa hasn't made a move yet."

Seiji nodded. "But then again, we're in a safe haven, so he shouldn't be able to get here."

"I'm still worried." Ryu looked over his shoulder to his friend. "And you should get some sleep."

"And you also, I'm not tired. You look like you could sleep for a week."

Ryu smiled wryly. "I could at this rate." He found a space on the floor and stared off to the ceiling.

Seiji went back to gazing at Opal. Her face wrinkled, a dream disturbing her slumber. She said something, but he couldn't make it out. _What I wouldn't give to have another chance_.

***

Jett opened her eyes, wishing she really didn't have to get up. She was too damn comfortable. That, and Shin was still sleeping, judging from his rhythmic breathing. She tried to recall something that had entered her sleep. But whatever had tried to warn her or tell her something had vanished from memory. Oh well. Probably wasn't important then.

Shin stirred, exhaling a deep breath as he raised his head some. "Did I wake you?" He asked softly.

She shook her head and put her finger to her lips, motioning to the others sleeping. He nodded in understanding and put his other arm around her. He looked at his watch. It was three thirty in the morning. He yawned, not tired but feeling like he hadn't slept in a while. Jett's stomach growled. Smiling, she got up and motioned for him to follow her. He did, stepping over Opal who had apparently decided the area by the door was the best place to sleep. 

Jett headed for the kitchen and started looking in the cupboards for something to eat. She grabbed a Milky Way bar and tossed Shin one. "Here, eat."

"Chocolate this early in the morning?" He asked, opening the wrapper.

Jett gave a devilish grin. "Hell ya. You should see what I eat for breakfast if I bother getting it sometimes."

Shin laughed quietly. For the rest of the morning, they talked about absolutely nothing, cradled in each other's arms. He could have stayed like that forever, had not Shuu come stumbling down the stairs in search of food. When he saw the two, he pretended to gag in the other room, while Jett threw wrappers at him. Not that they did much good: they didn't fly too far. Shuu began to bug Shin to make breakfast and he reluctantly pulled out of Jett's arms to make it. Jett make dirty faces at Shuu for that, claiming he had two arms and two feet.

***

Ryu announced he was going to go for some breakfast when he woke up, leaving Seji alone with Opal. Opal was awake, just not willing to open her eyes. Seiji stayed where he was, watching her.

"You're going to bore a hole right through my head if you don't stop staring at me," Opal said grumpily as she turned over to look at Seiji.

"I thought you were awake." Seiji quickly found something else in the room to look at. 

"Why you insist on staying here while everyone is downstairs is beyond me," she muttered, hiding her under her arms. "I'm not going to forgive you."

"I don't expect you too," he said unexpectantly, even for him. "I admit to being a complete and utter ass."

"Keep going. You're close," she said sarcastically.

Seiji sighed, wishing he had Shin's knack for Shakespeare and poetry. He was about to get up and go downstairs to see about something to eat when Opal started speaking.

"Do you know what it's like, to see something that you know you'll never have?" He didn't know how to answer that, so he stayed quiet. "The moment I saw which crowd you were hanging with, I knew I never had a chance with you because they'd tell you the rumors that fly around me. And I knew that you'd believe them. Then you asked me to the semi." At this point she sat up and looked at him. "I thought I was dreaming until I danced with you. I thought you felt the same thing I did: a sense of completion. Then you pulled that... that..." She couldn't even finish. Seiji moved closer to her to place his hand on her shoulder, but she moved away. "I thought you were different form them. But you proved to me that night that no matter who it is, every man is the same way to me. Cold hearted cowards." Opal got up and left the room, leaving Seiji with a sense of guilt mixed with self-loathing.

***

"Hold still, Kale," muttered Sehkmet. "I almost got it." He smiled with satisfaction as the ropes slid from them, freeing them from their prison. Kale and Dais got up and stretched, every muscle tight from being cramped up in their former position. Dais kicked down the door and blinked in the light that was suddenly flooding the room they had been placed in.

Sehkmet growled. "Let's go. I want to hurt that wench for tricking me like that."

Kale snickered, remembering Sehkmet's trap. He had whined about it the past few hours and Kale thought it very funny.

Sehkmet gave Kale a dark look before trudging off, trying to pick up on their energy trails.

***

Talpa surveyed the mortal realm from his chambers. "Those fools..." He muttered angrily. "They let themselves be caught like that. And those Ronins are keeping the Twin Warriors from coming. Looks like I need to do some things myself..."

***

It was later in the day; the Ronins and the Twin Warriors were working on plans to get rid of Talpa. They agreed that the White Inferno should be used, but Jett and Opal refused to reveal their secret weapons. "That's for us to know, and for them to find out," was their reply. Eventually even Shuu gave up on trying to find out what it was. They discussed what they found in Jay's books and decided that some of it may be useful.

Once alone, Jett and Opal each gave each other a look. It said: "This is one we may not make out of alive." Opal sighed, wishing she would at least have a chance to say farewell to her parents before leaving the physical plane. Jett didn't look too happy either. Her mind was racing with thoughts of Shin and home and the promises they made each other earlier that morning.

The seven helped clean up the mess they made, then started back for the clearing to get rid of Talpa.

It wasn't long before the three Warlords had found them. They had surrounded the group, weapons drawn. Jett and Opal took defensive stances, their athames out and ready for a kill. Without warning, the Ronins struck. Ryu and Shin against Sehkmet, Seiji and Touma against Kale, and Shuu against Dais. Nodding to each other, Jett and Opal took off, the Warlords too busy with the Ronins to notice.

"Ok, now that part A has been accomplished, we go off to find big, mean, and ugly, right?" Opal stated more then asked.

Jett nodded. "I hope the others will get there in time. I don't think we can pull this one of without their help."

"It's a shame too, usually we could have." 

Back at the fight, Ryu and Shin had the Warrior of Venom against a tree, but they themselves had scratched armor and a few bruises. "Look out!" Yelled Ryu, jumping out of the way of one of Sehkmet's poisonous swords. Shin just barely got out of the way.

"Figures he'd start growing arms again!" Shin grumbled as Sehkmet suddenly had six arms.

"Weaklings! I shall finish you off!" The battle resumed.

Seiji and Touma had enough of Kale. "ARROW SHOCK WAVE!" The arrow pierced the area between Kale's armor. He pulled it out, growling and now bleeding in the shoulder. 

"BLACK LIGHTNING STRIKE!" The black beams struck both Seiji and Touma. They fell to the ground, pain ringing throughout their bodies. Seiji got back up, using his nodatchi to help him up. He pointed his sword at Kale, and started to charge, intending to run him through. Kale stepped back and brought his knee up. Seiji pulled back in time to block the attack. Touma let out a war cry and tried a roundhouse to Kale's head. Kale threw Touma into Seiji.

"How is it these guys are tougher then usual?" Asked Touma.

"I don't know," replied Seiji. "But we better hurry."

Shuu wrapped a chain around Dais's neck and threw him into a rather large tree. Dais sent the illusions of spiders crawling after Shuu. "Ack!" Shuu jumped back, dropping his bo. Using this moment of distraction, Dais took off the chain from his neck and punched Shuu in the face. Shuu retaliated with a kick and a double punch to Dais's gut. Dais growled and backhanded Kento.

***

"It's too quiet," Opal whispered. "I don't like it."

"Me either." Answered Jett.

"Where are the guys? They should have been here by now."

"Leave it to men to drag things out longer then they should." Jett commented. "That's why we usually work alone."

Opal searched her bags to make sure they had everything still. She was nervous, especially knowing that she may not come out of this alive. She readied her athame in its sheath longing to have a demon jump out just so she could draw it. Jett looked over at her. "Calm down," she said. "We don't need to be giving ourselves away just yet."

"Sorry," Opal apologized. _Argh... where is he? Why is Talpa being so quiet?_

She didn't have to wonder for long. Suddenly the two were surrounded by Dynasty soldiers. Opal mentally cursed. There were too many to fight at once, even with their powers. She held her hands up. "Alright already! We get the picture!"

Jett growled as they were pushed to where Talpa was staying. The area around him was dead. The trees had no life, the bushes were no more, and there was snow galore. Some how there was a fire blazing on top of the snow. Opal didn't know what it was fueled by. She wasn't sure if she wanted to know. Talpa sat by the fire. Jett and Opal couldn't do anything but gawk. He was huge! Bigger then a giant. _So where's Hercules when you need him?_ thought Opal.

Talpa laughed as the Twin Warriors were brought to him. "So you've finally decided to come and join me?"

Jett made a face. "No, we decided it wasn't worth our time."

"Yeah, I'm more interested in listening to the football coach teach math." Opal shuddered. "And that's saying a lot."

Talpa's eyes grew a light red. "We'll see about that..." 


	11. Twin Warrior c-11

Disclaimer: Ok, I wasn't too pleased with the last chapter, but this writer is running out of ideas for this story (As I always do on the last few chapters, damn it all!) Anyway, I don't own the Ronins, I don't own any type of tea, and watch out for the random Dragon named Lala. She likes Rowen to a fault and will maim anyone to get to him. :) Have a nice day. Oh, and I don't own Elvira, Mistress of the Dark, though that was one hell of a kick-ass movie.

Opal rolled her eyes. "You know, you'd think these guys would eventually come up with something new...."

Jett nodded. "Seriously. This grows so old after a while. This is what, out ten hundredth demon master? And they still say the same."

"Think they are all related?" Asked Opal, totally ignoring Talpa at the moment.

"Perhaps." Jett shrugged. "Hm... You know, that would make a very interesting family tree."

Talpa, however, was very un-amused. His eyes flashed redder, and Nether Spirits surrounded the two. Opal fell to one knee in pain as some sort of energy coursed through her body. She started swearing fluently in Spanish and Latin. Jett wasn't fairing much better. Jett was silently wishing to be at home cuddled next to Shin watching some movie and throwing popcorn at him just for the sheer fun of it.

"Join me, Twin Warriors!" Talpa beckoned. "And live for the rest of eternity. You can have anything you want, if you just join me!"

"Those who long for immortality don't know what to do on a rainy day." Jett glowered.

"And the one thing we want would be denied to us anyway!" Opal said. "So stick it up your-" She couldn't finish what she was going to say, she was slammed against something hard that knocked the wind out of her.

Jett cursed her luck. She couldn't recall the spell for moving out of this type of situation. She couldn't even reach her athame. She tried to check to see if Opal was ok, but it hurt too much to move, damn it!

***

Shuu hit Dais over the head and was rewarded with a kick to the gut. He looked over at Ryu and Seiji. "Think we can ditch these bozos now? I'm losing interest."

"SNAKE FANG STRIKE!" Sehkmet drew his power into his swords and swung them at Shin. Shin dodged and blocked, just barely getting hit. Sehkmet called again, but was interrupted by Touma punching him in the back.

Seiji looked at Ryu and nodded. "All right, let's move!"

"Woo hoo! Later Warlord dudes!" Shuu kneed Dais in the mid-section and rescued Shin from one of Sehkmet's swords. Ryu clobbered Kale with an well-aimed katana. Seiji lashed out at Sehkmet, freeing Touma from a certain death. Then the group hurried off, leaving the Warlords in total disgrace.

They travel for several minutes in silence, trying to get their bearings. They were looking for signs that the next part of their plan could start, but nothing could be found. Seiji frowned. He didn't like this. Did they get caught too early?

Shin was showing signs of worriment. He looked calm, but Shuu could see the panic in his buddy's eyes. For a drifting moment, he wondered how both he and Seiji could honestly care for these girls like they did, but Ryu drew his attentions back to the present situation.

"Ok, they haven't given us any sign that we can continue. I think we should call the Inferno and march onto Talpa, but only after making sure the girls are ok."

"That's completely reckless," Shin objected, almost immediately. This almost sent Ryu into shock. Shin rarely said anything against anyone's plans so quickly. "If we go on like that, we'll endanger the Warriors. We can't risk that, with them so vital to the destruction of Talpa."

Seiji nodded. "I agree."

Touma looked at them both. "Ok, better plan: We split, half of us look for the girls, and the others look out for Talpa. In the meantime, we let Ryu call the Inferno ahead of time just in case."

"Dude! What happens if we run into the Warlords again?" Asked Shuu. "We won't have our powers to call if we need them."

"That's the risk we're going to have to take." Ryu argued. "It always is."

For several more minutes, the group argued. What was to be done? They couldn't agree on anything. Finally, Shin gave up on the argument, glaring at Ryu and Touma. "If Jett so much as gets a hair on her head harmed, I'm blaming both of you." He had a look on his face that they had never seen before. He turned and started heading for the direction given to him.

***

Opal took a deep breath. Ok, the pain was gone for the moment. She wanted nothing more then to just slip into unconsciousness where the pain would be gone for good. But her brain refused to let her. She opened her eyes and put her hand to her athame. "I. Won't. Join." She spat. "EARTHLY CRY!"

Jett stood. She had an equal look of determination on her face. "FIERY LIGHT!"

Talpa laughed. "Do you think those puny attacks will harm me?" He asked as they hit, hardly causing any damage. "You're too weak against me."

Jett crossed her arms. "You're so freaking shallow." Was all she replied. _Ok, we did part of our duty. Now we just gotta wait for the others,_ she said to Opal.

_Got it,_ replied Opal._ Until then, we get to stall. Got a retractable dagger?_

Giving her an odd look, Jett shook her head. Opal mentally cursed. She wanted to pull an Elvira. Oh well. He real athame would have to do. Brandishing the weapon, she charged up to Talpa. "I stabbeth thee!" She yelled.

Talpa looked down as the athame clanged against his armor. Opal was trying futilely to stick her athame into the damn thing, and the ringing was loud. "Foolish mortal. Do you think your puny weapons can defeat me? I can crush you without even trying!"

***

Seiji looked up when he head and saw the commotion. He saw the attacks and Opal's sudden war cry. _Oh sweet heavens no... Please don't let her get killed!_

Touma looked over at Seiji. "I'll get the others," He said.

Seiji didn't answer; he was racing for the new battle scene.

***

Touma found Ryu and Shuu searching with a fuming Shin. They apparently didn't see the signal. "Guys! We're in trouble! Come on!" The others followed Touma's lead. 

When they got there, Shin quickly gave his powers to Ryu, then raced off to save Jett. The scene he met wasn't exactly a pleasant sight. Jett was doing her damnedest to fight off evil spirits using all the spells she could muster from her rushed brain. Opal was dodging Talpa's attacks and countering with her own. Her athame was on the ground, apparently forgotten. With a roar of fury, Shin charged the spirits, lashing out with his trident. He had to save Jett!

Ryu had managed to catch Seiji before he went charging into battle. With much reluctance Seiji gave his powers to Ryu, then drew his nodatchi. He turned his head in time to see Opal dodge another attack, but she was wearing down. He wasn't going to let her wear down, or get killed. Not by Talpa. He went into the clearing, waving his nodatchi with skill at Talpa's foot, which threatened to crush a grounded Opal. Talpa let out an annoyed growl as the sword made contact with the armor. Opal scrambled to her feet and grabbed her athame off the ground.

Shuu and Touma, now powerless in their armors, went to help out Seiji and Shin. Other Nether Spirits assaulted them before they could even get to their friends, however. Frustrated, Shuu swung his bo at a bunch of the enemy. It passed right through. Touma shot arrow left and right, not achieving much damage to the spirits either.

Now it was Ryo's turn. In the Armor of Inferno, he went straight for Talpa. "Talpa!" He yelled. "You want to fight? Then come over here!"

Talpa laughed. "You think I'm going to fall for the same trick again, Wildfire?" He asked. "Then you are as weak minded as I thought you were."

Jett managed to fight her way out of the spirit circle with help from Shin. She smiled at him, and gave him a kiss before moving next to Opal. They looked at each other, then at Talpa. "Now is the time, now is the hour..."

Ryu took this as his sign. "Maybe it's you who are, you louse! RAGE OF INFERNO!"

"Ours is the magick; ours is the power... ELEMENTAL RAGE!" Opal and Jett finished as Ryu finished his sure-kill. 

Seiji saw what the Warriors were doing too late. With Ryu on one side of Talpa and Opal and Jett on the other... "Opal!" 

Opal concentrated on nothing but her spell. Beneath Talpa, the former holy seal that kept the evil from coming to be in the first place was reforming around Talpa and joining with Ryu's attack. She knew from the beginning she might not make it, but it was something she had put behind her the moment she took her job as a demon hunter. She closed her eyes, waiting for the flames to cover her.

Jett watched, poised, as the ground took over and the wind whipped around the circle. Water and Fire joined with Earth and Air, causing the protective seal to grow stronger. Normally, they wouldn't have needed the extra firepower, but with Talpa, the fire from the Inferno Armor was a necessity. The flames wouldn't affect her much, though they would probably kill her anyway with the small amount of water she had in her. She kept an image of Shin in her mind as she watched the flames approach...

Talpa roared in rage as the ground split. The seal that surrounded him was burning him though his armor and drawing him into the damned pit of darkness again. The Inferno's rage was suffocating. A long last cry of revenge echoed throughout as he was dragged, practically kicking and screaming, back to the depths of the Nether Region.

The ground closed up. The seal glowed brightly on the ground before dissipating. The Ronins toned down to their sub-armors, looking around.

"Jett!" Shin called, looking frantically around the clearing for her. "JETT! ANSWER ME!" 

Seiji was also in a state of disbelief. They couldn't have just vanished, could they? "OPAL!" He walked to where they were formerly standing. There was no trace of them, not even their footprints. "Oh holy gods..." He whispered.

Shin was hysterical. Shuu was hugging him, letting his old friend sob into his shoulder. He looked equally depressed. Ryu punched a tree. "Dammit! They didn't tell us they were going to do that!" He beat at the tree, feeling guilt and rage fill up inside him. Touma had collapsed to the ground, in hazy shock. He stared blankly at the space where the Twin Warriors had been standing. Seiji looked at all of them, feeling completely numb. _This isn't fair!_ His mind screamed. _Why Opal? Why?_ Despite all his training of keeping control of his emotions, he started to cry.


	12. Twin Warriors: Epilogue

Disclaimer: Ok, this is it. I don't own the Ronins, I do own everyone not listed in the Ronin cast, American and Gadain versions.

It had been several months since the last battle with Talpa. The Dark Warlords haven't popped out of no where to torture them out of spite. Everything in the mortal realm was back to normal. Well, almost. No one seemed to remember Jett and Opal, save Jay. Not even their parents. It was as if they never existed.

Shin sighed. This was their last week before heading home. He was in Opal's old room, which was now designed as a study, looking around and remembering things from a while back. He remembered the sleepovers that Opal would have with Jett and Jay in this room. Shin could remember standing outside the door just to hear Jett's voice, only to get chased away by Lilith. Shin frowned. Even the cat had disappeared. It just didn't make sense.

Touma was having a difficult time adjusting as well. He was used to having a room filled with herbs and Witch's tools, not a completely white room with blank walls. Even the carpet was untouched. He tried looking for something, some sign, which they would miraculously return and everything would go back to the way it was, with him and Opal fighting every five minutes.

Over at Jett's former home, Seiji was quieter then usual. He was blaming himself for what happened, that he couldn't save the one person he wanted to make amends to. He was rubbing his temples, trying to meditate to see if he could somehow contact Opal in the astral realm. But he couldn't concentrate. Seiji needed sleep, and that was one thing he wasn't getting. Seiji's dreams were plagued with nightmares of what happened, and what seemed to be her accusing face every time he closed his eyes.

Shuu had dampened spirits, but seeing everyone else depressed made him want to make everyone laugh instead. But when he was alone, he couldn't help but feel bad. He had been a total jackass and he regretted it. He wasn't aware on how addicting those two were when it came to poking fun at them and he missed Opal and Jett greatly. He couldn't understand on how anyone could not remember those two, and apparently even their parents had forgotten them.

Ryu had done his best not to break down in front of the others. His grief was equally great and memories of losing Luna to Talpa as well only caused him to lose sleep. He couldn't believe they didn't tell him that they were going to get caught in the crossfire. If there had to be a choice between killing Jett and Opal, two people who didn't stand a chance against the Inferno's rage, and Talpa taking over, he would have chosen Talpa. The guilt of killing innocents just wouldn't leave him.

***

_"I don't know about you," Jett said. "But this place is booooorrring!"_

"Ugh..." Opal answered, looking about. "Tell me about it. No monsters to destroy, no Drew to beat up, hell, I can't even yell at Seiji because his mind is totally closed!"

"Want to go bother Jay? He seems to be doing nothing at the moment."

"Hell, why not?"

***

Jay looked at his book, memorizing the Latin name to herbs and other things. He wrote down some things in his Book of Shadows, drawing little designs next to the words in the margin. He sighed, looking at the clock. It was almost dinnertime. He snapped his book shut and put his pen on his desk and stretched. Then he felt something poke him in the sides.

"AHHH!" He jumped, only to hear Jett's laughter. "Jett!" He hissed, not wanting his parents to hear him talk to the 'air'. "What are you doing here?"

"Bothering you. Opal and I got bored of the after life." Jett said, sitting on the floor.

"How is the physical plane, anywho?" Asked Opal. "I kinda miss freaking everyone out. It's dull on the other side and the reincarnation list is like, from here to China."

Jay looked at them both. "Well, the guys are really depressed. They are all like, suicidal or something." He pushed his glasses up along his nose. "Especially Seiji and Shin. They really miss you."

Opal made a noise. "Right, cold hearted Seiji? Actually care? That's a shocker."

"Actually, I had all five of them come up to me asking if there was anything I could do. I'm still trying to figure out how I'm the only one out of the entire school who remembers you."

"Lilith's doing," Opal shrugged. "Who knows with her. Perhaps she can do me a favor and smack Seiji upside the head a few times." She crossed her arms and looked at the ceiling. Then she peeked her head through the wall upon hearing someone coming up the stairs. "Dude, you're mom is coming."

Nick nodded and stretched, signaling he had to go and eat. He left, and Opal and Jett were left in the room, looking at each other. Opal sighed, not wanting to forgive Seiji, but that is what Jett was telling her to do by the looks on her face. Opal shook her head. "Not going to do it. Don't even look at me like that."

Jay came back up the stairs, looking irritated. "Man... Dinner was burned..." 

Jett and Opal snickered at him. "Poor Jay."

"Dude, this is like, totally weird... I can like, see through you guys and stuff. Hey Jett, can I see if--"

"No," She said quickly. "You can't. And don't touch me!" Jay was reaching over to her pant legs to see if his hand would go through them. Opal laughed at them. Well, things could go back to semi-normal at least... 

***

Seiji sighed, looking around the classroom bordly. He just couldn't get into the story he was supposed to be reading. He looked over where Opal used to sit. The seat was now occupied by someone else, some jock. It really ripped him apart inside to see that seat taken over by some moron who couldn't tell Dickens from Poe. Finally, the bell rung and Seiji left the room, ignoring the girls in the hall who wanted a date with him. He couldn't even look at another girl without remembering what he did to Opal.

He heard Shin call his name. Seiji gave a half-hearted wave. Shin looked like he hadn't had much sleep either. He had been having troublesome dreams as well, though not as bad as Seiji's. "Have you seen Jay?" Asked Shin. "I think he knows something or the other about the girls."

Seiji hide his surprise. "How would he know? He said he couldn't see people from the other side."

Shin shrugged. "He said meet him in school, but I haven't seen him. I don't know if he means after or what."

Seiji frowned. "Let's wait after school then. He wasn't in lunch was he?"

Shin shook his head. "Nope."

After school, they waited in the main lobby, searching among the crowd of other students for Jay. After about ten minutes, they found him heading outside into the warm spring air. Shin and Seiji raced up to him. "Jay!"

Jay stopped and waved. "Hey! What's up?"

Shin gave a concerned look. "You said something about Jett and Opal..."

Jay nodded and beckoned the two to follow him home. His parents wouldn't notice, they were gone for the while. When they got to his house, he explained to the two Ronins that the Twin Warriors were in the astral realm and how they have been trying to contact them. "But they can't do that when you're minds are closed."

Seiji looked puzzled. "But I've spent the last few months meditating! How-"

"If you try too hard, you miss the messages." Jay said. "They are right here, standing besides me."

Shin looked at Jay as if he was a nutcase. "Come off it, Jay, this isn't funny."

Jett, who was watching quietly walked over at hugged Shin. He didn't seem to notice. She grunted. "Jay, tell Shin to quit being so closed-minded again. He can't feel me if he doesn't"

Jay did just that, but Shin shook his head. He ended up leaving, not being able to take the hurt that was welling up in his chest. Seiji followed, again keeping his features a tight mask.

***

"_Ok, that's it." Jett said as she was back floating around on the astral plane. "We find Lilith, and see if she can get us back into the physical realm. I don't care how long it is; I want to see my Shin again!"_

Opal leaned up against a wall. She had seen the look in Seiji's eyes, and was wondering if her anger was any longer justifiable. "Sounds good... I think I owe Seiji an apology..."

They spent the rest of the day and into the night searching for Lilith. When they found her, she was in a garden somewhere along the coast of South America. It was a good thing that they could travel quickly in this form. Opal called over to Lilith and waved. "Lilith! How are you?"

Lilith smiled, standing. "I'm fine. And how are you two?"

"Absolutely miserable," Jett said. "I wanted to ask you a favor. Could you give us some time in the physical realm? I just want it long enough to console Shin, then I'll be happy."

"And I just want to tell the others that we're fine," Opal said. "Tell them to get over their damn guilt trips already."

Lilith got a thoughtful expression. "Maybe," She said. "I don't know if I'm allowed to do that. I'll do the best I can."

***

There was a huge welcome home party for the Ronins when they returned to Japan. Their parents and Mia had set it up along the lake. The boys were faking having a good time, telling of the sights they had seen and such. By the time night fell, everyone was tired and returned to their separate homes after thanking Mia for her hospitality. Once home, Shin collapsed on his bed, the lights off. He stared at the ceiling, knowing he probably wasn't going to sleep tonight though he was dead tired. A shadow caught his eye. It was standing in the corner of the room, arms folded over its chest. He jumped up and grabbed a lamp from his nightstand. "Who's there?" He demanded.

The figure came into the light of a streetlamp. "Now Shin, I'm insulted. I thought you'd recognize me."

Shin dropped the lamp. "J-Jett? How... Am I dreaming?"

She walked over to him and placed her arms around his neck. "Shh.... I've come to say my goodbyes. I have some time before I have to go, and I want it to be with you." She kissed him, gently pushing him onto the bed.

***

Opal had visited all the other Ronins, planting a seed of peace in their minds that it wasn't their fault. Ryu was a little difficult, she had a lot of grief to deal with there, but she managed to push the guilt out of his mind and put him to sleep. She hadn't shown herself to anyone while she was there, but now it was Seiji's turn.

Seiji was staring at a computer screen, typing furiously. Apparently he had a project or something to do. Opal stood there, watching him, trying to decide if she wanted to make herself known. She continued like this for ten minutes before she saw Seiji stop typing and place his hands over his face. Seiji was crying.

"Gods Opal.... I'm so sorry..." He said in a hushed voice.

Opal frowned. He hadn't seen her yet, yet he was apologizing?

"If I could change the past, I wouldn't have done it... I was such a goddamn moron! And now you're not here... It should have been me..."

Opal sat on the end of the bed and cleared her throat. "If it weren't for the fact I'm hear to witness this, I wouldn't believe it."

Seiji spun around, surprised. ".... Opal?" His eyes were red and blotchy.

Opal nodded. "Yeah, the one and only. I'm only hear for a few minutes before Lilith takes me back to the astral realm."

Seiji stood hesitantly. "Do you forgive me?"

Opal shrugged in reply.

Seiji let out a soul-shaking breath. "Opal... I am sorry. If I could-"

"Just shut up and kiss me already, huh?" Opal interrupted.

With a half smile, Seiji took Opal into his arms. For the first time in months, he was able to sleep without dreaming.

*****

*Looks at her work. * Damn! I've never written anything THAT sappy. Oh well, I hope you guys liked the fic, it's the longest I've ever written... Now to finish up my others ones... *Looks dumbfounded* Wait... I actually finished a fic! Woo hoo! Party time! 


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